Making A Difference - Book 2
by Amortentia-Malfoy
Summary: Book 2 of 7 - Due to the Devastation cause by war against Lord Voldemort, Luna and Hermione travel back in time to 1977 to read the HP Books, to help fight the war. LE/JP, AP/FL, NB/LM, AB/RL, HG/SB and LL/SS
1. Chapter 1 - The Worst Birthday

**A/N: **Hey everybody, Here's the first chapter for Book 2 - Chamber of Secrets. I hope you enjoy.

I will try and upload Chapter 2 soon, but work has gotten busier then I thought. I'm a graphic designer in an advertising department for a publishing company. Since it's so close to the Christmas Holidays, advertising has doubled and pre-prints for holidays editions also have to be done. YAY! To lots of overtime.

It was brought to my attention that I forgot to explain what DVDs were to the Purebloods. My mistake! (I had a definition written up *sad face*) Obviously the time has passed and I have improvised in this first chapter, hopefully this should suffice.

As always, enjoy and happy reading! Don't forget to review, I love hearing your feedback.

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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_**Chapter**__** 1**_**- ****The Worst Birthday**

The next morning soft snores and rustling sleeping bags could be heard around the room from the individuals hidden amongst pillows and cushions. Candy wrappers, empty bowls of popcorn and Empty butter beer and water bottles were scattered around the room. The previous evening was a hit, the teens spent the night watching movies, laughing, talking and just plain getting to know each other. They had watched _Bambi_, (which James absolutely loved come on a film about talking deer? Who wouldn't love that, in his opinion), _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ (The Purebloods thought it was hilarious and couldn't get enough) and _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory_ (Which had Remus positively drooling).

Hermione had made sure that any movies shown were released before the time of their arrival (1977). She and Lily spent most of the night explaining the story lines, muggle terminology and objects to the others. The awe in their faces when she tried to explain what a DVD was to Lily and the others (they did not exist yet in 1977). Sirius was mesmerized by the shiny bottom of the DVD and kept trying to shine his wand at it to flash people in the eyes during the movies (like a child with a shiny new toy). After eating mounds of candy and popcorn, the group finally turned in at 2am.

As the sun started to rise outside, sunlight slowly filtered in to room through the windows. The smell of food being cooked in the kitchen wafted through. Dorea was the first to rouse from her sleep and the site she saw made her smile, she summoned her camera from her room and took a picture of the sleeping group. She quickly drifted towards the kitchen to help Juno with breakfast before the teens would arise. Hermione and Sirius had found themselves curled around Valentina during the night, Luna and Severus not far away from them face to face with their hands entwined, James and Lily next to them with James clutching Valentina's baby fawn (saying it was the deer Prince and it represented Harry since it was a gift from him). Regulus beside his brother flat on his back mouth wide open, Remus and Amelia beside him buried under mounds of pillows (thanks to Sirius and James), Frank and Alice cuddled up, Narcissa and Lucius too were cuddled up with his arm slung protectively around her waist.

Valentina was the next to rouse from her sleep and let out a little yawn and gurgle to alert her mother that she was awake. Her parents began to stir and opened their eyes to greet their daughter. Hermione smiled sleepily and picked Valentina up and signaled to Sirius (she did not want to wake the others) that she was going to feed Valentina and get herself ready for the day.

By the time Hermione and Valentina had returned, everyone had gotten themselves ready and eating breakfast. Waving her wand she cleared up all the rubbish and prepared the room to its previous state so they could continue the readings. Placing Valentina in her rocker with her dragon and Quidditch balls she too headed for breakfast.

As always Juno had prepared enough breakfast for everyone leaving them all full and satisfied. Once everyone had their fill they all reconvened in the reading room, to begin the second book. Valentina was still gurgling in her rocker and entertaining herself with her toys.

"Okay, the second book is obviously about Harry's second year. This year the legend of the Chamber of Secrets comes in, students were being petrified and there was fear of the school being closed." Luna explained.

All the elders all looked nervous and scared about this. Last time the Chamber of Secrets came up someone had died. They all hoped no one was killed this time.

"Harry being Harry obviously is at the centre of it because of the events beyond his control. I won't reveal too much, as it is better to read from the book." She continued, not seeing the change in the elders' body language.

"You guys don't catch a break do you? Is there ever a year where he's been safe and it hasn't been crazy?" Alice moaned.

"Third year and sixth year, wouldn't you say Luna?" Hermione said trying to remember.

"I'd say your sixth year was better than your third."

"That's comforting." Amelia said sarcastically.

"Lily it's your turn." Hermione said handing her the book.

Lily sighed. "The first book is called, _**Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**_**.** **Chapter One – The Worst Birthday.**"

Everyone groaned in exasperation. They all knew too well what Harry's birthdays at the Dursley's would be like.

**Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room. **

"Well done Hedwig." Luna said approvingly.

"**Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!" **

**Harry tried, yet again, to explain. **

"**She's **_**bored**_**," he said. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out at night" **

"He didn't let her out of her cage? Poor Hedwig. He's such a cruel and horrible human being!" Alice gasped, _how he could do that to an innocent animal?_

"**Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon, a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy mustache. "I know what'll happen if that owl's let out." **

"Does he honestly, want him to answer that question?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Everyone laughed at that comment.

**He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia. **

**Harry tried to argue back but his words were drowned by a long, loud belch from the Dursleys' son, Dudley. **

Dorea, Augusta and the female teens all look disgusted.

"**I want more bacon." **

"Charming." Lucius sneered.

"**There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia, turning misty eyes on her massive son. "We must build you up while we've got the chance… I don't like the sound of that school food…" **

"It's probably because they're giving him a balanced diet." Dorea frowned.

"**Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when **_**I **_**was at Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?" **

**Dudley, who was so large his bottom drooped over either side of the kitchen chair, **

"That honestly can't be healthy." Augusta said disapprovingly. Everyone else looked a little ill at the description.

**grinned and turned to Harry. **

"**Pass the frying pan." **

"Say please." Luna frowned.

"**You've forgotten the magic word," said Harry irritably.**

"They won't like that." Regulus winced.

**The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; **

"Stop being a drama queen Petunia." Lily sneered.

**Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples. **

"**I meant 'please'!" said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean —" **

"**WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table, "ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?" **

"The 'M' Word? Is he serious?" Frank scoffed.

"No I am." Sirius grinned, causing everyone but Luna and Hermione to groan.

"Sirius, that's getting old. Don't do that again." Remus sighed.

Sirius pouted much to the amusement of Luna and Hermione.

"**But I —" **

"**HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his fist. **

"He was telling him to say 'please', he wasn't threatening Dudley!" Alice hissed.

"**I just —" **

"**I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!" **

"Abnormality?" Moody growled darkly.

**Harry stared from his purple-faced uncle to his pale aunt, who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet.**

"I hope she pulled something." Severus sneered.

"**All right," said Harry, "**_**all right**_**…" **

**Uncle Vernon sat back down, breathing like a winded rhinoceros and watching Harry closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes. **

**Ever since Harry had come home for the summer holidays, Uncle Vernon had been treating him like a bomb that might go off at any moment, because Harry Potter **_**wasn't **_**a normal boy. As a matter of fact, he was as not normal as it is possible to be. **

Hermione snorted at that making Luna to laugh.

**Harry Potter was a wizard **

Sirius screamed in mock horror. Everyone rolled their eyes but smiled in amusement. Valentina gurgled at her father from her rocker; grinning he picked her up and placed her on his lap.

— **a wizard fresh from his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have him back for the holidays, it was nothing to how Harry felt. **

**He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache. **

Severus smiled sadly, he too felt that way when he was home.

**He missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, his classes (though perhaps not Snape, the Potions master), **

Severus gasped and clutched his chest in mock hurt, causing the room to chuckle. Lily couldn't help but be happy that Severus was opening up and becoming the best friend she knew.

**the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall, sleeping in his four-poster bed in the tower dormitory, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds, and, especially, Quidditch, the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks). **

Everyone smiled wistfully at the description of Hogwarts and all its wonders.

**All Harry's spellbooks, his wand, robes, cauldron, and top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick had been locked in a cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon the instant Harry had come home. **

Everyone hissed and growled.

**What did the Dursleys care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch team because he hadn't practiced all summer? **

"You won't lose your place Harry. You're too great of an asset and they wouldn't find a better seeker." James said proudly.

"If muggleborn players can't practice and don't get kicked off their teams, I'm sure Harry wouldn't." Regulus commented.

**What was it to the Dursleys if Harry went back to school without any of his homework done?**

Minerva's eye twitched at Harry not being able to do his homework.

**The Dursleys were what wizards called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins), and as far as they were concerned, having a wizard in the family was a matter of deepest shame.**

"If anything, we're ashamed of being related to you." James growled.

"Prejudiced idiots." Lily muttered.

**Uncle Vernon had even padlocked Harry's owl, Hedwig, inside her cage, to stop her from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world. **

Once again growls and hisses could be heard.

**Harry looked nothing like the rest of the family. **

"Thank goodness for that." Lily said, the thought of Harry resembling the whale made her shudder.

No one disagreed with her.

**Uncle Vernon was large and neckless, with an enormous black mustache; Aunt Petunia was horse-faced and bony; Dudley was blond, pink, and porky. Harry, on the other hand, was small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was always untidy. **

"That's the signature Potter hair." Charlus chuckled ruffling his own hair.

**He wore round glasses, and on his forehead was a thin, lightning-shaped scar. **

Everyone growls at the reminder of the scar.

There is something peculiar about that scar. Regulus thought to himself and made note to pay more attention to it.

**It was this scar that made Harry so particularly unusual, even for a wizard. This scar was the only hint of Harry's very mysterious past, of the reason he had been left on the Dursleys' doorstep eleven years before. **

The females all scowled at Albus for that. He looked a stared guiltily at his parchment not daring to meet the women in the eyes, for fear of meeting their wrath.

**At the age of one year old, Harry had somehow survived a curse from the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time, Lord Voldemort, whose name most witches and wizards still feared to speak.**

"It's all part of the plan. Knowing anyone on the side of the light wouldn't be afraid to say his name. Voldemort will eventually place a jinx on his name. Anyone saying his name will cause the Death Eaters to descend on them, breaking any wards or protection surrounding them. We should be prepared." Regulus explained.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Bellatrix." Lucius and Regulus said simultaneously. Everyone instantly knew what he meant.

"We should talk after this; you will need to tell us as much as you can." Moody suggested to Regulus and Lucius.

Regulus nodded.

**Harry's parents had died in Voldemort's attack, but Harry had escaped with his lightning scar, and somehow — nobody understood why —Voldemort's powers had been destroyed the instant he had failed to kill Harry. **

"We too would like to know." Henry said shaking his head.

**So Harry had been brought up by his dead mother's sister and her husband. He had spent ten years with the Dursleys, never understanding why he kept making odd things happen without meaning to, believing the Dursleys' story that he had got his scar in the car crash that had killed his parents. **

Everyone growled at the ridiculous excuse of James and Lily's passing. It was an insult to their honor; they died fighting for they believed in.

**And then, exactly a year ago, Hogwarts had written to Harry, and the whole story had come out. Harry had taken up his place at wizard school, where he and his scar were famous… but now the school year was over, and he was back with the Dursleys for the summer, back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly. **

"Should I be offended by the dog analogies?" Sirius whispered to Hermione.

Hermione giggled and shook her head.

**The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday. Of course, his hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given him a real present, let alone a cake — but to ignore it completely…**

Lily and The Potters growled. They had missed out on so much of his life already. They vowed to make it right this time.

**At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now, as we all know, today is a very important day." **

**Harry looked up, hardly daring to believe it.**

"They remembered, I don't believe it either. Maybe we should check their sanity." Alice said in awe.

"**This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career," said Uncle Vernon. **

"Ah, I take that back, all is right in the world." She corrected herself making everyone laugh.

**Harry went back to his toast. **_**Of course**_**, he thought bitterly, **_**Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party**_**. He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks. Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him (Uncle Vernon's company made drills). **

"**I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be —?" **

"They have a scheduled dinner parties?" Amelia said wrinkling her nose.

"**In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home." **

"**Good, good. And Dudley?" **

"**I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?" **

"Well that's not creepy at all." Narcissa scoffed.

"**They'll **_**love **_**him!" cried Aunt Petunia rapturously. **

"I don't." The teens said simultaneously causing themselves and the elders to laugh.

"**Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon. Then he rounded on Harry. "And **_**you**_**?" **

"**I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry tonelessly. **

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"I'm going to kill them." Sirius growled angrily, causing Valentina to cry. Hermione sighed offering her arms to for the baby but he refused trying to soothe the crying himself by bopping her up and down in his lap.

Everyone else looked on and smiled at the little family.

"**Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight-fifteen —" **

"Pureblood dinner parties have agendas, but even we aren't this strict." Amelia frowned.

"**I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia. **

"**And, Dudley, you'll say —" **

"**May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman. **

"**My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia. **

Everyone rolled their eyes at that, not bothering to comment.

"**And **_**you**_**?" said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry. **

"**I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry dully. **

"**Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?" **

"They plan compliments too?" Frank said with a raised eyebrow.

"This is ridiculous." Lucius sneered.

"**Vernon tells me you're a **_**wonderful **_**golfer, Mr. Mason… **_**Do **_**tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs. Mason…" **

"**Perfect… Dudley?" **

"**How about —'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about **_**you**_**.'" **

**This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Harry. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son, while Harry ducked under the table so they wouldn't see him laughing.**

It was the complete opposite in the _ROR_, everyone was chuckling at Harry's reaction to Dudley's _"Compliments"_.

"I highly doubt he's ever met this Mr Mason before." Regulus scoffed.

"**And you, boy?"**

**Harry fought to keep his face straight as he emerged. **

"**I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," he said.**

By the expressions on everyone faces, if the Dursley's were in the room right now, they'd be hexed so fast they wouldn't be recognizable.

"**Too right, you will." said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you and it's going to stay that way. When dinner's over, you take Mrs. Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia, and I'll bring the subject around to drills. With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the news at ten. Be shopping for a vacation home in Majorca this time tomorrow."**

"I doubt they will bring him with them if they did buy the vacation home. The Dursley's wouldn't like Harry any less in Majorca then they would here." Charlus said bitterly.

**Harry couldn't feel too excited about this. He didn't think the Dursleys would like him any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.**

Everyone smiled at Charlus who was chuckling at the similarities.

"**Right — I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And **_**you**_**," he snarled at Harry. "You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."**

"Wow, Petunia cleaning? Quick alert the media!" Severus and Lily gasped, making everyone laugh at the reunited best friends.

**Harry left through the back door. It was a brilliant, sunny day. He crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and sang under his breath: **

"**Happy birthday to me… happy birthday to me…"**

Everyone sighed sadly at that. 12 years and he had suffered so much. They all vowed to make a change and celebrate Harry's twelfth birthday together this time around.

**No cards, no presents, and he would be spending the evening pretending not to exist. He gazed miserably into the hedge. He had never felt so lonely. More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They, however, didn't seem to be missing him at all.**

Everyone looked at Hermione in shock, anger or disappointment.

Hermione quickly interrupted them before she received a verbal lashing. "We did. We've been writing to him all summer but there was something at work beyond my control. It will all be explained soon. Please do not judge this individual and I will not stand for you to speak poorly of him, he is a dear friend and only means well."

Luna glared at them as if daring them to say anything.

Everyone nodded their agreements but they were still clearly upset and confused. Why was Harry not receiving his letters? They all decided to respect her wishes and stayed quiet. No one wanted to anger or upset the time travelers, this person had done something to gain her respect and until then not a word will be said.

**Neither of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.**

"The Weasley's invited him to stay 2 weeks in to the summer holidays but they didn't get a reply. They were all so worried about him." Luna explained.

**Countless times, Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig's cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter, but it wasn't worth the risk. Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Harry hadn't told the Dursleys this; he knew it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking **_**him **_**in the cupboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick.**

Everyone scowled angrily at the reminder of Harry's old _"room"_.

**For the first couple of weeks back, Harry had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.**

All the teens laughed at that. If they were in Harry's position they would probably do the same.

**But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Harry feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal — and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday.**

"I didn't forget. I even sent him, his own copy of _Quidditch through the Ages_."

James smiled at his sister in thanks, Hermione smiled back in reply.

**What wouldn't he give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? He'd almost be glad of a sight of his archenemy, Draco Malfoy, just to be sure it hadn't all been a dream…**

"Okay he's definitely desperate if his seeking out Draco." Regulus chuckled.

**Not that his whole year at Hogwarts had been fun. At the very end of last term, Harry had come face-to-face with none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self, but he was still terrifying, still cunning, still determined to regain power.**

Everyone in the room tensed, weak or not Voldemort was still around and he was making life difficult for Harry.

**Harry had slipped through Voldemort's clutches for a second time, but it had been a narrow escape, and even now, weeks later, Harry kept waking in the night, drenched in cold sweat, wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes — **

Hermione and Luna shuddered at the description they knew all too well what Voldemort looked like and they did not want a reminder. Sirius and Severus noticing their respective girls were upset either wrapped an arm around her (Sirius, the other arm was holding tightly to Valentina who was playing with her dragon) or clasped her hand in comfort (Severus).

**Harry suddenly sat bolt upright on the garden bench. He had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge — **_**and the hedge was staring back**_**. Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.**

"What?" Dorea asked worriedly. "Hedges don't stare."

**Harry jumped to his feet just as a jeering voice floated across the lawn. **

"**I know what day it is," sang Dudley, waddling toward him. **

"We'll done, his learnt the days of the week." Severus sneered, making everyone laugh. He was definitely coming out of his shell, lily smiled proudly.

**The huge eyes blinked and vanished. **

Franks eyes narrowed.

"**What?" said Harry, not taking his eyes off the spot where they had been. **

"Constant Vigilance." Moody grunted approvingly.

Everyone rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"**I know what day it is," Dudley repeated, coming right up to him.**

"**Well done," said Harry. "So you've finally learned the days of the week." **

Everyone grinned in Severus' direction.

"Great minds think alike." He smirked, making them all laugh.

"**Today's your **_**birthday**_**," sneered Dudley. "How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you even got friends at that freak place?" **

"He does!" Everyone yelled angrily.

"He's got truer friends then you ever have." Hermione scowled.

"**Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school," said Harry coolly. **

**Dudley hitched up his trousers, which were slipping down his fat bottom. **

"EWWWW!" All the girls squealed.

Everyone else looked positively ill.

Valentina gurgled at all the noise, Hermione smiled and took her from Sirius and conjured a blanket to cover herself and gave her a feed.

"**Why're you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously. **

"**I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Harry. **

"Oh Harry, you're going to get yourself in trouble." Luna smiled fondly.

**Dudley stumbled backward at once, a look of panic on his fat face. **

"**You c-can't — Dad told you you're not to do m-magic — he said he'll chuck you out of the house — and you haven't got anywhere else to go — you haven't got any **_**friends **_**to take you —" **

"We would have taken him in and I'm sure the Weasley's, Luna's and Mia's family would as well." Augusta frowned.

"We would." Hermione confirmed.

"_**Jiggery pokery**_**!" said Harry in a fierce voice. "**_**Hocus pocus — squiggly wiggly —**_**" **

Hermione, Lily, Severus and Luna burst out laughing.

"Those are words which muggle illusionists say Dudley not having been exposed to the magical world before believed them to be real." Luna explained to the confused purebloods.

They too started to laugh now that they understood.

"**MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He's doing you know what!" **

Lily read ahead to the next paragraph and shrieked. "HOW DARE SHE?! I'm going to make sure she'll regret crossing me."

James rubbed her back in comfort; he too was angry but tried to keep control of his emotions. Everyone else looked on in confusion.

**Harry paid dearly for his moment of fun. As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done magic, but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan. **

"WHAT!" Everyone yelled. The room was in an uproar. Hermione was trying to sooth a crying Valentina, Sirius was pacing the room, and Remus looked the wolf that he was. It was 15 minutes later before everyone had calmed down.

"She tried to hit him with a frying pan?" Augusta growled.

**Then she gave him work to do, with the promise he wouldn't eat again until he'd finished.**

Lily practically growled.

**While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream, **

"Of course, why would the fat lard do any chores?" Regulus sneered.

**Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flowerbeds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench. The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of his neck. **

Everyone glared angrily at the book whilst Lily's voice shook as she read.

**Harry knew he shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait, but Dudley had said the very thing Harry had been thinking himself… maybe he **_**didn't **_**have any friends at Hogwarts… **

_**Wish they could see famous Harry Potter now**_**, he thought savagely as he spread manure on the flower beds, his back aching, sweat running down his face. **

Everyone sighed at Harry and his never ending battle with his fame.

**It was half past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, he heard Aunt Petunia calling him. **

"**Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!" **

"Lily your sister is a piece of work." Alice hissed.

Everyone nodded in agreement, to angry to say anything.

**Harry moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen. On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding: a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets. A loin of roast pork was sizzling in the oven. **

"Let me guess. He doesn't get any of it?" Henry growled.

"**Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table. **

"That's not food Petunia!" Lily shrieked. "Let's put your son on two slices of bread and cheese and see how he likes it." She growled.

**She was already wearing a salmon-pink cocktail dress. **

"Petunia should know not to wear salmon; the colour has never suited her." Severus grimaced.

Everyone laughed at the look of disgust on his face.

**Harry washed his hands and bolted down his pitiful supper. The moment he had finished, Aunt Petunia whisked away his plate. "Upstairs! Hurry!" **

**As he passed the door to the living room, Harry caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets. He had only just reached the upstairs landing when the door bell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face appeared at the foot of the stairs. **

"**Remember, boy — one sound —" **

"Lay one hand on him Dursley and you'll wish you've never been born." Remus growled, his eyes flashing amber. Amelia rubbed his back trying to sooth him.

**Harry crossed to his bedroom on tiptoe slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on his bed. The trouble was, there was already someone sitting on it.**

"Who?" Narcissa asked.

"You'll see." Hermione said as she placed the now sated Valentina in the rocker to play.

Everyone groaned at the well-used words.

"That was the end of the first chapter." Lily said handing the book over to Remus.


	2. CHAPTER 2 - Dobby's Warning

**A/N: **Wow guys! I've had Sooooooo Many Favourites/Follows since the upload of Chapter 1 (Well over 350 alerts in my email). Thank you so much for your support. I love it!

I know Lucius and Severus are a little OOC but that's the direction the story is going. I understand it seems a bit soon, but we got to understand, this is before Lucius, Regulus and Severus went to the dark side (not sure if that was the case in cannon).

As usual, thank you to my lovely reviewers. Enjoy and happy reading! Don't forget to review.

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 2 -****Dobby's Warning**

Remus cleared his throat and read. "**Chapter Two - Dobby's Warning.**"

"Dobby?" Lucius asked in confusion. "What's my house-elf doing in Harry's bedroom?. He's only a young elfling at the moment."

"All will be explained Lucius." Luna smiled. "This is the individual Mia and I were talking about earlier. Please do not judge him on his actions in this book, he means well. Also, I must warn everyone that Lucius' actions in these books will test our tempers. The old Lucius wasn't the most pleasant fellow but he has already changed, please remember that."

Lucius looked down at his hands in guilt. Everyone gave him an assuring smile in return.

**Harry managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.**

Hermione and Luna giggled at the description.

"He is quite accurate with he's descriptions." Lucius chuckled. Narcissa smiled weakly at Lucius and clasped his hand in her own, knowing this book will probably show his dark side.

**Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him out of the garden hedge that morning.**

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they thought the green eyes belonged to something ominous.

**As they stared at each other, Harry heard Dudley's voice from the hall. **

"**May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"**

**The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.**

Lucius winced knowing what the others may be thinking.

Most of the room looked appalled by Dobby's attire. They instantly knew that Dobby wasn't treated well at the Malfoy household. However they all stayed quiet knowing Lucius was already feeling guilty as it is.

"**Er — hello," said Harry nervously. **

"**Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… Such an honor it is…"**

All the females cooed.

"Wow, his famous even with the house-elves." Henry said in awe.

"**Th-thank you," said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into his desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. He wanted to ask, "What are you?" but thought it would sound too rude, so instead he said, "Who are you?"**

"Good. He remembered his manners this time." Lily said approvingly. Making everyone smile at her.

"**Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature. **

"**Oh — really?" said Harry. "Er — I don't want to be rude or anything, but — this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom." **

**Aunt Petunias high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head. **

Severus and Lily shuddered at the reminder of the laugh. They've heard it one too many times to want to hear it again.

"**Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," said Harry quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?" **

"He's polite even when he's trying to get rid of a house-elf." Charlus chuckled.

"**Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…" **

"**Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed. **

**To his horror, the elf burst into tears — very noisy tears.**

"That isn't going to go down well." Regulus winced. "Not many house-elves are used to being treated as equals. This could be bad."

"_**S-sit down**_**!" he wailed. "**_**Never**_**… **_**never ever**_**…" **

**Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter.**

"He's going to get Harry in trouble." Lily said anxiously.

"**I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything —" **

"**Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has **_**never **_**been asked to sit down by a wizard — like an **_**equal **_**—"**

"That would be shocking to any house-elf not just Dobby." Frank confirmed.

**Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll. At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry in an expression of watery adoration. **

"**You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, trying to cheer him up. **

**Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "**_**Bad **_**Dobby! **_**Bad **_**Dobby!"**

Lily gasped. "Why is he doing that?"

"He spoke ill of his master, House-elves are bound to their masters and are forbidden to speak badly of them." Lucius explained.

"That's totally barbaric."

"You could order them not to hurt themselves, but the old Lucius would've encouraged it." Regulus added.

Lucius nodded in agreement and stared guiltily at the floor.

"**Don't — what are you doing?" Harry hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed — Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage. **

"They are causing a ruckus." Dorea said nervously.

"**Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir…"**

"That's really hard for a house-elf not to do." Amelia said sadly.

"Dobby was a little different." Hermione replied.

"**Your family?" **

"**The wizard family Dobby serves, sir… Dobby is a house-elf — bound to serve one house and one family forever…"**

"Wow." Lily whispered.

"We have some too but they are very well treated and happy." said James. "You could meet them, next time you visit if you like and get to know them better."

"I'm sure Juno would also be happy to answer any of your questions too, Ms Evans." Albus twinkled.

Lily smiled.

"**Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously. **

"Probably not." Regulus frowned.

**Dobby shuddered. **

"**Oh, no, sir, no… Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sir —" **

"That's awful." Alice whispered in horror.

"**But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?" **

"**Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…" **

No one dared comment, they already knew Lucius was feeling guilty.

"**But why don't you leave? Escape?" **

"That's not how it works." Charlus smiled sadly.

"**A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free… Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir…" **

**Harry stared. **

"**And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks," he said. "This makes the Dursleys sound almost human.**

Lucius thought to himself, he continued on the previous path of his life it may have been true.

"Don't think on it Lucius. You're different now." Albus said understanding the boys emotions.

Lucius smiled weakly and nodded.

**Can't anyone help you? Can't I?" **

**Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude. **

"**Please," Harry whispered frantically, "please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here —" **

"**Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby… Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…"**

"That's Harry for you. Always willing to help those in need." Luna smiled dreamily.

Lily and the Potters smiled proudly.

**Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, "Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she —" **

**But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.**

Hermione winced. "I thought he was ignoring me too." Sirius gave her an comforting smile knowing she was hurting just as much as Harry.

"**Harry Potter is humble and modest," said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named —" **

"**Voldemort?" said Harry. **

**Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!" **

"**Sorry," said Harry quickly. "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron —"**

"Ron grew up in the magical world, so he was taught to fear it. Unlike muggleborns or people in Harry's position." Luna observed. "Technically Harry is like a muggleborn himself, he grew up with muggles not knowing anything magical at all."

"You're right Luna." Henry smiled proudly at his daughter.

**He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too. **

**Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights. **

"**Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago… that Harry Potter escaped **_**yet again**_**."**

"How did he hear know that?" James asked confusedly.

"Probably overheard Draco, most likely whining that yet again Harry had something he didn't." Narcissa answered with a frown.

**Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears. **

"**Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… **_**Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts**_**."**

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"Why would he want Harry to stop going to Hogwarts? Hogwarts is Harry's home." Sirius frowned.

"Dobby will explain." Luna replied.

**There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice. **

"**W-what?" Harry stammered. "But I've got to go back — term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't **_**belong **_**here. I belong in your world — at Hogwarts."**

"**No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."**

"Not again." Lily groaned.

"Honestly this kid is going to give me early greys." Sirius said with a horrified expression.

Everyone rolled their eyes at Sirius and his love affair with his hair.

"**Why?" said Harry in surprise. **

"**There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over.**

"What is your future self, up to Luc?" Narcissa sighed.

"You're not the only one who wants to know." He replied. "I'm suspecting a task set by V-v-voldemort." He stuttered, he wasn't used to saying the name yet.

Everyone paled. The elders too agreed with Lucius' observations.

"**Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"**

"That's kinda sweet, that he cares enough about Harry to disobey his masters like that." Lily smiled sadly.

Hermione and Luna nodded. Dobby did care about Harry a lot, it was as if he saw Harry as his master, not the Malfoys.

"**What terrible things?" said Harry at once. "Who's plotting them?" **

**Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.**

Everyone winced.

"He's disobeying the Malfoy's by being there. He wasn't suppose to tell." Frank observed.

"**All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell me. I understand. But why are you warning **_**me**_**?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him. "Hang on — this hasn't got anything to do with Vol — sorry — with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again. **

**Slowly, Dobby shook his head. **

"**Not — not **_**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named**_**, sir —" **

**But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost. **

"**He hasn't got a brother, has he?"**

"Oh Circe, he doesn't does he?" Alice said worryingly.

"No." Moody replied gruffly.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

**Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever. **

"**Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing — you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"**

"Everyone in the magical world knows who Albus Dumbledore is. You've got to be hiding under a rock if you didn't." Henry grinned at his friend.

Albus cheeks coloured but he chuckled merrily along with everyone else.

**Dobby bowed his head. **

"**Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir" — Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper — "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't… powers no decent wizard…"**

"He means dark magic." Moody growled.

**And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps. **

"And if the Dursley's and Mason's didn't hear him before, they would definitely have heard that." Remus paled, he wasn't the only one.

**A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry, heart thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!"**

"Oh no." Lily whimpered in to James' shoulder.

"**Quick! In the closet!" hissed Harry, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door, and flinging himself onto the bed just as the door handle turned. **

"**What — the —**_**devil **_**— are — you — doing?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth, his face horribly close to Harry's. "You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke…**

"I'm sure it was hilarious." Sirius retorted.

**One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, boy!" **

Everyone growled at the Walrus.

**He stomped flat-footed from the room. **

**Shaking, Harry let Dobby out of the closet. **

"**See what it's like here?" he said. "See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got — well, I **_**think **_**I've got friends."**

Hermione and Luna rolled their eyes.

"Such a pessimist. He's got plenty of friends." Luna scowled.

"**Friends who don't even **_**write **_**to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly.**

"It was Dobby." Narcissa sighed. "He's been stopping the letters."

Hermione nodded sadly. "He means well, like I said. He really does care for Harry."

"**I expect they've just been — wait a minute," said Harry, frowning. "How do **_**you **_**know my friends haven't been writing to me?" **

**Dobby shuffled his feet. **

"**Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best —" **

"_**Have you been stopping my letters?**_**" **

"**Dobby has them here, sir," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Harry's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid.**

Those who were previously upset gave Hermione an apologetic smile which she waved off.

"I'm just glad he told Harry about the letters. I didn't want to be on the end of Harry's temper and I would've been just as upset with him as he was with me. Ron's temper isn't great either and would have led to a row." Hermione said sadly.

**Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry. **

"**Harry Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him… Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…"**

"Nothing would stop Harry from not going back to Hogwarts." said Luna "It's his home."

"That and his too stubborn." Hermione added.

"He gets that from his mother." Amelia joked, making everyone laugh.

Lily crossed her arms and scowled at her friend.

**Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach. **

"**Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!" **

"He's trying to get Harry to a verbal binding contract and I don't think Harry knows about them. This could be bad." Charlus sighed.

"**No," said Harry angrily. "Give me my friends' letters!" **

Moody grunted his approval.

"**Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly.**

"Merlin, what's he going to do now?" Lily groaned in to her hands.

**Before Harry could move, Dobby had darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.**

"Not good." Severus groaned. "He's determined, I'll give you that but I don't think he realizes how much trouble Harry will be in."

**Mouth dry, stomach lurching, Harry sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. He jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet, looking around for Dobby. From the dining room he heard Uncle Vernon saying, "… tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…" **

**Harry ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt his stomach disappear. **

**Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby. **

Everyone paled. _This was bad, very bad._ They all thought as one.

"**No," croaked Harry. "Please… they'll kill me…" **

"**Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school —" **

"**Dobby… please…" **

"**Say it, sir —" **

"**I can't —" **

**Dobby gave him a tragic look. **

"**Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good." **

**The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished. **

Everyone grimaced, knowing the outcome won't be good.

**There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Harry, rigid with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunia's pudding. **

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sirius barked out in laughter, which led James to start laughing then eventually the whole room. It was a few minutes before Remus was able to take a breath and continue reading.

**At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss the whole thing over. ("Just our nephew —very disturbed — meeting strangers upsets him, so we kept him upstairs…") He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Harry he would flay him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left,**

All the sighs of laughter had instantly disappeared at those words. Everyone looked murderous.

**and handed him a mop. Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Harry, still shaking, started scrubbing the kitchen clean. **

"Of course." Lily snarled.

**Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal — if it hadn't been for the owl. **

**Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a huge barn owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped out again.**

Everyone winced.

**Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.**

"Harry's luck." Amelia sighed.

**Harry stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support, as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.**

Everyone growled and hissed defensively.

"Ministry of Magic." Henry sighed. "They really do have bad timing."

"**Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on — read it!" **

**Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings. **

_**Dear Mr. Potter, **_

_**We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine. **_

_**As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school. (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C). **_

_**We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy. **_

_**Enjoy your holidays!**_

_**Yours sincerely, **_

_**Mafalda Hopkirk **_

_**IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE **_

_**Ministry of Magic**_

"What do they mean intelligence?" Alice asked confusedly.

"Dobby must have copied his magical signature to perform the hovering charm. As a result, Harry is being framed for it. Being the only magical being within Privet drive, all evidence points to Harry." Albus explained.

Everyone groaned.

**Harry looked up from the letter and gulped. **

"**You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "Forgot to mention it… Slipped your mind, I daresay…"**

"There goes Harry's blackmail." Severus sighed.

"Well Petunia should have known, it's her own fault for playing stupid about the magical world." Lily scowled.

**He was bearing down on Harry like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, boy… I'm locking you up… You're never going back to that school… never… and if you try and magic yourself out — they'll expel you!" **

**And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry back upstairs. **

"Take your hands off my son." James said coldly, everyone in the room shivered at the tone. _This is bad. _They all thought an angry James is never good.

**Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry's window.**

"THEY ACTUALLY LOCKED HIM UP?" Lily raged. She wasn't the only one to be angry, more than half the room was growling and hissing and muttering angrily under their breath.

"They put bars on his window?" Hermione growled, her eyes flashing. "I thought Ron was exaggerating as usual."

"Didn't the muggle think it peculiar that he was only putting bars on 1 set of windows?" Augusta frowned.

"He probably paid the man to keep his silence." Frank said coldly.

**He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.**

"It's like his a prisoner." Amelia growled.

**Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him. **

**What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it?**

"He wouldn't have gotten expelled. He would have been allowed to plead his case." Minerva commented.

"No offence Professor but he hasn't really had much faith in his teachers. Every time he was able to ask for him, they always disappointed him." Luna replied.

**Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway.**

"Not if the Weasley's have anything to do with it. Molly and Arthur would be there in and instant if they knew something was wrong" Alice growled.

"No wonder he was so skinny." Luna whispered to Hermione who nodded.

**The cat-flap rattled and Aunt Petunias hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room. Harry, whose insides were aching with hunger, jumped off his bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but he drank half of it in one gulp.**

"Oh come on Petunia, you can do better than that." Severus sneered.

**Then he crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into her empty food tray. She ruffled her feathers and gave him a look of deep disgust. **

"**It's no good turning your beak up at it — that's all we've got," said Harry grimly.**

The whole room smiled sadly at that.

"That's very noble of him. Even when his hungry and vulnerable, he's able to show his owl some affection." Amelia smiled.

"Noble git, that he is." Hermione joked, making them all laugh.

**He put the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap and lay back down on the bed, somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup. **

**Supposing he was still alive in another four weeks, what would happen if he didn't turn up at Hogwarts?**

"We would have sent someone out to see what was wrong and if we saw bars on his window, we would have sent for reinforcements." Albus replied voice trembling in anger.

**Would someone be sent to see why he hadn't come back? Would they be able to make the Dursleys let him go? **

"If I have anything to do with it you will be going back to Hogwarts." answered Minerva's lips thinned.

**The room was growing dark. Exhausted, stomach rumbling, mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry fell into an uneasy sleep. **

**He dreamed that he was on show in a zoo, with a card reading UNDERAGE WIZARD attached to his cage. People goggled through the bars at him as he lay, starving and weak, on a bed of straw. He saw Dobby's face in the crowd and shouted out, asking for help, but Dobby called, "Harry Potter is safe there, sir!" and vanished. Then the Dursleys appeared and Dudley rattled the bars of the cage, laughing at him. **

"He's starvation is making him have delusional dreams." Augusta frowned.

"**Stop it," Harry muttered as the rattling pounded in his sore head. "Leave me alone… cut it out… I'm trying to sleep…" **

**He opened his eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone **_**was **_**goggling through the bars at him: a freckle-faced, red-haired, long-nosed someone.**

"RON!" everyone cheered.

"Finally!" James and Sirius grinned getting up to do a happy dance.

Everyone rolled their eyes at the two, now too used to the behaviour.

**Ron Weasley was outside Harry's window.**

"That was the end." Remus said as he handed the book over to Amelia.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Burrow

**A/N: **OH MY! I've had so many Favourites/Follows since the last post. Thanks everyone! I'll try and upload soon but I don't know when. I've been writing this when I have a spare moment.

I won't jibber jabber like I usually do, so here's the next chapter! Enjoy and happy reading! Don't forget to review.

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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_**Chapter 3**_** - The Burrow**

Amelia smiled and read "**Chapter Three - The Burrow.**"

Alice bounced around in her seat excitedly.

"**Ron." breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars. "Ron, how did you —? What the —?" **

**Harry's mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked **_**in midair**_**.**

"AWESOME!" The Marauders, Frank and Regulus cheered. Severus, Lucius and the elder males too were impressed.

**Grinning at Harry from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers.**

"Of course." Albus chuckled, as did the other elders. Minerva meanwhile was massaging her temples, she wasn't looking forward to the Weasley twins starting Hogwarts.

"I love these guys." Sirius grinned.

"I have a feeling; Sirius has a man crush on the twins." Alice whispered to Amelia but the whole room heard and erupted out in laughter.

Sirius threw a cushion at her in retaliation.

"**All right, Harry?" asked George.**

"He's got bars on his window and George asks if he's alright?" Augusta said in disbelief.

"He was just worried about him. Harry is like a little brother to them." Luna replied.

"**What's been going on?" said Ron.**

"I don't know about you Ronald, but he's had a visit from a paranoid house-elf, almost knocked unconscious by a frying pan, was the Dursleys house-maid and just so happens to have bars on his windows. He's been having a blast of a time." Severus said sarcastically making everyone laugh.

"**Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles —"**

"How would Arthur know that? Doesn't he work in the Mis-use of Muggle Artifacts office?" Frank asked confusedly.

"Probably through the grapevine, people love gossip and because he's Harry Potter, it's bound to spread fast." Moody grumbled.

"**It wasn't me — and how did he know?" **

"**He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You **_**know **_**we're not supposed to do spells outside school —" **

"**You should talk," said Harry, staring at the floating car.**

"Doesn't count, it's an enchanted object. Besides unless it's been seen or exposed to Muggles, they are fine." Henry commented.

"It's was probably Arthur, he's got an obsession with Muggle items. Drives Molly up the wall." Alice giggled.

Luna and Hermione nodded in confirmation

"**Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, **_**we **_**didn't enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with —"**

"He didn't do it. Listen to what he says first Ronald before you talk." Alice growled in disbelief. She was hoping that Ron, would mature a little over the summer.

"**I told you, I didn't — but it'll take too long to explain now — look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so —"**

"Gosh this kid is slow sometimes. They've made it this far, they aren't going to leave him behind." Sirius grinned while shaking his head.

"Takes after he's father." Lily glared at James with narrowed eyes.

"Oh come on! I'm not that slow." James scowled.

"Prongs, it took you 3 lessons before you realized you had your pants on back to front and your shirt inside out last month." Remus raised an eyebrow at him.

James just threw a cushion at him in retaliation when everyone laughed at his expense.

"**Stop gibbering," said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us." **

"**But you can't magic me out either —"**

"What does he think the twins are there for? Decoration?" Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Just because they are unable to use magic, there is always other ways by Muggle means. It is always useful to know." James grinned.

Lily smiled proudly at her boyfriend learning something of her heritage, even if it was used for pranking.

"**We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me." **

"**Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Harry. **

"**If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," said Harry as he tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car. **

"**Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."**

**Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent.**

"Smart owl." Narcissa smiled.

**The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air. Harry ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Ron hoisted them up into the car. Harry listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys' bedroom. **

"Heavy sleepers." Henry observed. "Could work to our advantage."

**When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Fred reversed as close as possible to Harry's window. **

"**Get in," Ron said.**

"What about he's school things? He might not have much but those are important." Dorea commented.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"**But all my Hogwarts stuff — my wand — my broomstick —" **

"**Where is it?"**

"**Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room —" **

"**No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry." **

"This is going to be good." Sirius leaned forward eagerly. So did all the other teens, the elders couldn't help but be amused.

**Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Harry's room. You had to hand it to them, thought Harry, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock. **

"Of course Harry, their pranksters." James said shaking he's head like it was perfectly natural.

"**A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow." **

"He's right." Moody said gruffly.

**There was a small click and the door swung open. **

"**So — we'll get your trunk — you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George. **

"**Watch out for the bottom stair — it creaks," Harry whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.**

Moody grunted in approval. "Always be aware of your surroundings. Constant Vigilance!"

Hermione, Luna and the elders rolled their eyes. They were used to his behaviour; the others however looked at the Auror in awe and took in every advice offered.

**Harry dashed around his room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron. Then he went to help Fred and George heave his trunk up the stairs.**

"That was good of him." Lily smiled.

"Must have realized the faster they get out of there the better. As quiet as they are trying to be, they are making a bit of noise." Henry observed.

**Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.**

Everyone began fidgeting nervously, Harry and the Weasleys needed to get out of there now!

**At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window. **

**Uncle Vernon coughed again. **

"**A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push —"**

**Harry and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car. **

"**Okay, let's go," George whispered. **

"Wait! What about Hedwig?" Alice said worriedly.

**But as Harry climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind him, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice. **

"Harry's luck." Everyone groaned.

"**THAT RUDDY OWL!" **

"**I've forgotten Hedwig!" **

**Harry tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on — he snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, and passed it out to Ron.**

"Quickly Harry." Dorea said nervously.

**He was scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door — and it crashed open.**

"Get fuck out of there!" Sirius yelled, no one bothered to reprimand him because they too were worried.

**For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.**

"Let go of him you fat walrus!" Lily screeched. James too was grinding his teeth angrily.

**Ron, Fred, and George seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard as they could. **

"**Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"**

"Why are they trying to stop him in the first place, I thought they'd be glad to be rid of him." Alice growled.

"Because they want to _'Stamp'_ the magic out of him I suppose." Charlus said his voice trembling.

Albus' shoulders twitched hearing the word _stamp_ but remained calm. Unknowingly, Frank had noticed the little twitch and made note to remember it.

**But the Weasleys gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out of Uncle Vernon's grasp — Harry was in the car — he'd slammed the door shut — **

"**Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.**

Everyone including the elders cheered minus Moody (who grunted in approval) and Albus (who twinkled).

**Harry couldn't believe it — he was free. He rolled down the window, the night air whipping his hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of Privet Drive.**

All the Quidditch players smiled serenely. They too love being in the air and could only imagine.

"Thank Merlin; he's away from the awful place." Dorea said relaxing her shoulders.

**Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of Harry's window. **

There were snickers from around the room.

"**See you next summer!" Harry yelled.**

At that comment, everyone erupted out in laughter.

"That was totally Lily." Amelia grinned at her friend, who blushed brightly.

**The Weasleys roared with laughter and Harry settled back in his seat, grinning from ear to ear. **

"**Let Hedwig out," he told Ron. "She can fly behind us. She hasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages." **

All the females all smiled in approval.

**George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.**

"Hedwig really is beautiful, when she's flying free." Luna smiled dreamily.

"Can't argue with you there." Hermione replied.

"**So — what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?" **

**Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished.**

"It would have been a strange story to tell." Charlus chuckled.

"**Very fishy," said Fred finally. **

"**Definitely dodgy" agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?" **

"He wouldn't have been able to. He's bound to his masters and revealing who was behind the plot would be disobeying them." Regulus sighed.

"**I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall." **

**He saw Fred and George look at each other.**

"They might not show it but the twins are very intelligent when they put their mind to something. You'll see it in the fifth book." Hermione smiled. She was really starting to miss the Weasley's, especially the twins. They were always able to bring a smile to her face, even if she never wanted to show it.

"**What, you think he was lying to me?" said Harry. **

"I doubt it. Dobby is a little different." Luna smiled.

"**Well," said Fred, "put it this way — house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"**

"Say we didn't know who Dobby's masters were; I'd say Draco as well but being the-boy-who-lived it could be anyone, he'd have many enemies out there. Draco certainly does seem like the type but I don't think he'd stoop that low. Dobby however, seems genuinely worried about Harry and in this case I think it's different." Regulus commented.

"Your right, but I don't think Harry will see it that way." Lily replied, looking at Hermione for confirmation. However, she just kept her face blank.

"**Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly. **

"**Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me." **

"**Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"**

"**Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry. **

"There's only one Malfoy family and one of the most respected names in wizarding society, Draco isn't a very common name to name your son." Sirius commented.

"We probably wanted to stay with Black family tradition. Draco already had the Malfoy name and I probably didn't want to lose that part of my family, just because I was a Malfoy." Narcissa explained.

Hermione smiled. "When I found out I was pregnant, Astra, Andromeda, Molly and yourself were telling me about your family trees and names commonly used in your families. You said you didn't want to forget your family, hence the reason behind Draco's name. That and Lucius wanted something strong."

"Which is unfortunate Draco is the biggest puppy I've ever seen. You should see him with Valentina, he's a total sap." Luna giggled, making everyone laugh.

"**I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who." **

"Not anymore." Hermione smiled.

Lucius smiled back weakly.

"**And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Harry, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung — Dad reckons he was right in You- Know-Who's inner circle." **

Lucius winced at Fred's comments. It was true; if he continued on the path he was on he probably would be exactly the person in the book.

Everyone gave him reassuring smiles, knowing he was uncomfortable with the subjected.

**Harry had heard these rumors about Malfoy's family before, and they didn't surprise him at all. Malfoy made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy… **

Everyone chuckled at the hostility between the two boys.

_Boys._ All the girls thought to themselves rolling their eyes.

"**I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…" said Harry. **

"Each elf is tied to the family home. Each Ancient and Noble family, have one tied to their name. The Black's, Bone's, Longbottom's, Malfoy's, Potter's, Prewett's and Zabini's are a few of the noble houses. But by the looks of it V-v-voldemort, has been trying to exterminate them if they refuse to join his side." Regulus explained to Lily who was looking confused.

"Sir, I think we should have a wizarding tradition and refinery class. We aren't really taught about the old ways and etiquette once we enter Hogwarts. Unfortunately people like Harry and Muggleborns don't understand our customs and can put them at a loss in situations." Amelia suggested.

"I'm sure we can arrange it as an introduction class, during the first semester." Albus made note of it looking to Minerva who nodded.

"**Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred. **

"**Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house…"**

**Harry was silent. Judging by the fact that Draco Malfoy usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; he could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house.**

"Harry would have access to Potter Manor as soon as he claims his right as heir with Gringotts. Since he is underage, he wouldn't be able to at this point in time." Lucius explained to Lily.

**Sending the family servant to stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts also sounded exactly like the sort of thing Malfoy would do. Had Harry been stupid to take Dobby seriously?**

"No." Dorea smiled sadly.

"Every warning is worth something, until cleared." Moody said approvingly.

All the teens nodded at his words and took his advice in.

"**I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first —" **

"**Who's Errol?" **

"**Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery.**

"Poor Errol, his ever so old. They really should retire him and keep him as a pet instead of a delivery owl" Luna said sadly.

**So then I tried to borrow Hermes —" **

"_**Who?" **_

"**The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front. **

"Percy makes prefect and he gets new robes and an Owl?" Frank frowned.

"I understand rewarding your children for their achievements, but could he have not have gotten one gift rather than two? They are already struggling as it is, Hermes could have been used as a family owl." Lily commented.

"Molly doesn't openly say it but Percy has always been the favourite. Arthur just goes with the flow." Hermione replied.

Alice shook her head and made note of that as well.

"**But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him." **

"That's a bit selfish, I don't think using him to send an owl or two would impeach upon his mail time." Narcissa frowned.

"Percy is very private person, he likes keeping things to himself especially his belongings." Luna replied.

"**Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he **_**has **_**been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room… I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge… You're driving too far west, Fred," he added, pointing at a compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel. **

"He probably has a girlfriend." Sirius grinned.

"Who would date a git like him?" James scoffed.

Sirius put a galleon on the table. "Bet on it."

"I'm in." James said confidently and placed he's money on the table. Lily rolled her eyes and wrote the bet down.

"**So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer. **

"Doubt it. If Arthur allowed them to fly it, he would have come with them." Henry chuckled.

"**Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it." **

"Mother's always when something is wrong." Dorea narrowed her eyes at James and Sirius.

They suddenly found their fingers and the floor very entertaining.

"**What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"**

"**He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office." **

"I don't think Arthur will be too pleased if he heard his own sons, didn't appreciate what he did at the ministry." Frank commented.

"**The **_**what**_**?" **

"**It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare — Dad was working overtime for weeks." **

"I definitely wouldn't want to be in Arthur's shoes." Moody grumbled.

"**What happened?" **

"**The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose.**

"Ouch." All the male teens winced.

**Dad was going frantic — it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office — and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up —"**

"They really are unappreciated down there and definitely need more staff but certain members of the ministry don't believe, it's important enough to employ more staff members." Hermione commented.

"You're right, unfortunately certain people think Muggles are below us and aren't important enough to monitor when it comes to muggle baiting." Henry replied.

"**But your dad — this car —" **

**Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided **_**our**_** house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad." **

Those who knew Arthur chuckled, it was very typical of him.

"**That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes… Just as well, it's getting light…"**

"They're cutting it close. They better hurry if they want to make it before Molly finds out." Alice giggled.

No one disagreed with her there.

**A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east. **

**Fred brought the car lower, and Harry saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees. **

"**We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."**

Luna smiled sadly at hearing the name of her home town. Hermione grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Augusta frowned at the change in emotion. "Is everyone alright sweetheart?"

"I'm alright. I lived in the same town as the Weasley's and hearing about it just made me a little homesick." She replied.

Everyone smiled sadly at that and nodded. They too would kiss their home if they were in the time travelers positions.

**Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.**

"That would've been a beautiful site to see. I love watching the sunrise." Lily smiled wistfully.

"I agree, I used to sit up on the hill behind the separating The Burrow and my house and watch the sun rise and set." Luna smiled dreamily.

"**Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house. **

Everyone leaned forward eager to hear Harry's thoughts of The Burrow.

**It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.**

Alice couldn't help but smile, she loved the Weasley home. It was so warm and welcoming.

"**It's not much," said Ron. **

"**It's **_**wonderful**_**," said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.**

Everyone scowled or growled at the reminder.

"Anything is better than that place." Sirius growled.

**They got out of the car. **

"**Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car."**

Everyone laughed at the reasoning behind Harry's sudden appearance.

"I don't think that's a very believable alibi." Remus chuckled.

"**Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry, I sleep at the — at the top —" **

**Ron had gone a nasty greenish color, his eyes fixed on the house.**

"Uh oh." All the boys paled.

**The other three wheeled around. **

**Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-toothed tiger.**

"I love how Harry has all these animal analogies going through his head." Frank chuckled.

"I don't think Molly would be too impressed by that description." Alice giggled.

"_**Ah**_**, "said Fred. **

"**Oh, dear," said George.**

**Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket. **

"_**So**_**," she said. **

"**Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.**

Everyone laughed at George's response.

"That would only anger her more." Luna giggled.

"**Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper. **

"**Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to —" **

**All three of Mrs. Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.**

"I would too. Molly has quite a temper could rival with Walburga Black." Hermione winced.

Everyone who knew both people were shocked.

"Between Molly and my mother, who'd win?" Regulus asked.

"We'll your mother does like to use a few choice words that are usually meaningless and can be ignored but I say Molly because she likes to hit you where it hurts." She replied.

Those who have had the pleasure of knowing Walburga Black shuddered.

"**Beds empty! No note! Car gone — could have crashed — out of my mind with worry — did you care? — never, as long as I've lived — you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy —"**

"Ouch." All the boys winced.

"She shouldn't have compared them to their others. They already have a complex as it is." said James shaking his head.

"She means well but Molly has a habit of doing that and doesn't realize it hurts them." Luna replied. "That is one of the many examples, throughout the books."

Alice frowned and shook her head. What's happened to her Molly?

"**Perfect Percy," muttered Fred. **

He wasn't so perfect in the fifth book, thought Luna.

"**YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have **_**died**_**, you could have been **_**seen**_**, you could have lost your father his **_**job **_**—"**

"I understand they could have gone about it another way but wouldn't saving Harry be worth the risk though?" Amelia asked.

"Unfortunately Molly won't see it that way. She cares too much about appearances." Hermione replied.

**It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Harry, who backed away. **

"Don't blame him." James muttered.

"**I'm very pleased to see you, Harry, dear," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."**

At the mention of food Sirius' belly rumbled quite loudly making everyone laugh.

"We can eat after this chapter." Albums chuckled.

Sirius grinned sheepishly and nodded in thanks.

**She turned and walked back into the house and Harry, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her. **

**The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. He had never been in a wizard house before. **

Lily and the Potters sighed sadly. It wasn't his fault; he hadn't grown up with a proper childhood. It was Voldemort's.

**The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like **_**Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens**_**, and **_**You're late**_**.**

"That's handy." Dorea pondered making one herself.

"It is, the hands on the clock had a certain family members name and picture. The last couple of years Molly didn't go anywhere without that clock of hers, it was her way of keeping track of everyone. After the war she added Luna, Valentina, Neville, Draco, Harry and myself."

**Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like **_**Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts **_**— **_**It's Magic! **_**And unless Harry's ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."**

All the teens winced.

"Horrible singer. I don't know why she's so popular." Sirius growled.

"We're just the wrong demographic. All her songs are aimed at homemakers and stay at home mums." Amelia replied.

"As long as we don't have to hear her horrid singing she can sing to who she wants. Until then turn that thing off." James shuddered, making the elders shake their heads in amusement at the teens.

**Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know **_**what **_**you were thinking of," and "**_**never **_**would have believed it."**

"Is she really that shocked? Growing up with Gideon and Fabian you would think she'd know better." Alice said shaking her head.

"Ah but the Prewett twins could do no wrong because they are her loving brothers. These are her sons, they need to act a certain way and be a certain way." Lily reminded her.

Alice shook her head "That isn't right, she should just be happy that they are alive, happy and not trying to be something they are not."

"**I don't blame **_**you**_**, dear," she assured Harry, tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate.**

Augusta frowned "That's way too much. Harry's stomach wouldn't be used to eating so much food, he should start slow. That will only make him sick."

"I don't know if the book will mention it but Fred did say he was sick in the garden after breakfast." Hermione tried to recall. "He must have forced himself to eat it all, his eyes are usually a lot bigger than his stomach."

"**Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really," (she was now adding three fried eggs to his plate)**

Minerva, Dorea and Augusta clucked their tongues, Molly really shouldn't overload him like that. Not everyone is used to such large helpings.

"**flying an illegal car halfway across the country — anyone could have seen you —" **

**She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background. **

"**It was **_**cloudy**_**, Mum!" said Fred. **

"**You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. **

"**They were starving him, Mum!" said George. **

"**And you!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him. **

"More food?" Remus asked incredulously. "No wonder he was sick."

**At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again. **

"Ginny." Hermione and Luna grinned.

"**Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."**

"Harry's first fan girl." Sirius snickered. "This is going to be good."

Hermione and Luna laughed at Ginny being called a fan girl. She was somewhat until she grew up and gotten to know Harry for who he was, without the game.

"**Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time. **

"_**Blimey**_**, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and —" **

"Nice try. Not going to happen." Frank snorted.

"**You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again —"**

"**Oh, Mum —" **

"**And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and Fred. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car —" **

**But Harry, who felt wide awake, said quickly, "I'll help Ron. I've never seen a de-gnoming —" **

"It's dull work; don't know why he'd want to see it." James whined. Lily rolled her eyes and whacked him with a cushion.

"**That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject —"**

At the name _Lockhart_, Luna erupted in a fit of giggles much to Hermione dismay her cheeks colored brightly. Everyone one looked at them for an explanation. To their disappointment, Luna grinned and said "You'll see" making everyone groan.

**And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George groaned.**

"**Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden —" **

**Harry looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasley's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words **_**Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests**_**.**

"That Ravenclaw numpty wrote a book?" Regulus wrinkled his nose.

"I don't even know how he even ended up in my house." Frank shook he's head.

"He's a right plonker and the biggest idiot you'd ever meet. Who'd be stupid enough to publish his work?" Amelia frowned.

"You'd be surprised; he's quite popular in our time and apparently fame is everything." Luna giggled.

**There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving; the wizard, who Harry supposed was Gilderoy Lockhart, kept winking cheekily up at them all.**

All the males looked sickened by the image, even Albus looked a little out of sorts.

**Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him. **

"**Oh, he is marvelous," she said. "He knows his household pests, all right, it's a wonderful book…" **

"**Mum **_**fancies **_**him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper. **

"And she wasn't the only one. Hogwarts was ridiculous that year." Luna grinned.

"**Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it." **

"She couldn't be more wrong. The guy doesn't even know the right side up of a cauldron. If one word from that book is true, I'll eat my shoe." Severus sneered.

**Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys slouched outside with Harry behind them. The garden was large, and in Harry's eyes, exactly what a garden should be. The Dursleys wouldn't have liked it — there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting — but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Harry had never seen spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs. **

Amelia shivered. "I hate frogs." She replied at the confused looks from Luna and Hermione.

"**Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron they crossed the lawn. **

"Yes they do, but they aren't quite the same." Frank chuckled.

"**Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Father Christmases with fishing rods…" There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "**_**This **_**is a gnome," he said grimly. **

"**Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome. **

**It was certainly nothing like Father Christmas. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato.**

Everyone laughed at he's description.

**Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down. **

"**This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head ("Gerroff me!") and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso.**

All the girls gasped in horror.

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt them. The aim is to make them confused." Regulus explained.

The girls still looked appalled but took his word for it.

**Seeing the shocked look on Harry's face, Ron added, "It doesn't **_**hurt **_**them —you've just got to make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnome holes." **

**He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge. **

"Pathetic." James shook his head. "My best is forty feet."

"**Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."**

**Harry learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. He decided just to drop the first one he caught over the hedge, but the gnome, sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Harry's finger **

"Ouch." Everyone winced.

"Ohh... Harry's very lucky. Gemumbli Gardensi saliva is very beneficial and may bring on bouts of creativity of talents." Luna said before continuing to hum dreamily in her own thoughts.

Everyone looked at her strangely, while Hermione motioned for Amelia to continue before anyone would say anything to hurt Luna's feelings.

**and he had a hard job shaking it off — until — **

"**Wow, Harry — that must've been fifty feet…" **

"Awesome." James said very impressed.

**The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.**

"**See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. **

"My father used to say large Gemumbli infestations were a blessing. They Weasley home is truly blessed." Luna said dreamily.

No one bothered to comment knowing sudden bouts of oddities is just part of who Luna was.

"**The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on they storm up to have a look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put." **

**Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched. **

"**They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here… Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny…" **

Frank grinned and shook his head at his friend. "Molly mustn't be too impressed."

**Just then, the front door slammed. **

"**He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!" **

**They hurried through the garden and back into the house. **

Everyone smiled at how popular Arthur was with his children and Harry.

**Mr. Weasley was slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes closed. He was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's.**

"Poor Arthur." Alice giggled. "He hasn't gone bald yet, still has all his hair"

**He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel-worn. **

"**What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned…" **

"That's a cowardly act. Never hex a wizard when his back is turned. Mundungus is definitely someone to look out for. He's very slippery that one." Moody growled.

All the teens nodded. No one but Narcissa noticed the look Luna and Hermione shared.

**Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed. **

"**Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly. **

"**All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets,**

Hermione and Luna started giggling at the word ferrets. Seeing the questioning looks Hermione replied "Forth year" which once again caused everyone to groan.

**but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness…" **

"**Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George. **

"**Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasley. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it.. **

"That's cruel." Lily frowned.

**Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking — they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face… But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe —" **

"**LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?" **

Everyone winced.

"He walked right in to that one." Frank muttered.

"This is going to be interesting." Sirius snickered.

**Mrs. Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife. **

"**C-cars, Molly, dear?" **

"**Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, while **_**really **_**he was enchanting it to make it **_**fly**_**." **

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh I can Imagine. Typical Arthur, he can't help himself." Alice giggled.

**Mr. Weasley blinked. **

"**Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if — er — he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth… There's a loophole in the law, you'll find… As long as he wasn't **_**intending **_**to fly the car, the fact that the car **_**could **_**fly wouldn't —" **

"He probably made sure there was a loophole when he passed that law." Remus grinned.

"**Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Harry arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!" **

"**Harry?" said Mr. Weasley blankly. "Harry who?" **

**He looked around, saw Harry, and jumped. **

"**Good lord, is it Harry Potter? Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about —" **

"That's subtle Arthur, very subtle. Who else would it be?" Sirius snorted. Everyone snickered in agreement.

"_**Your sons flew that car to Harry's house and back last night!" **_**shouted Mrs. Weasley. "What have you got to say about that, eh?" **

"He's going to put his foot right in that one, Arthur is very predictable when it comes to muggle objects." Frank grinned.

"**Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right? I — I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "that — that was very wrong, boys — very wrong indeed…" **

Everyone erupted out in laughter at Arthur's reaction and his reprimanding skills.

"I can just imagine the glare Arthur is getting for that comment." Alice snickered.

"**Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Harry as Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog.**

Once again they all laughed a Harry's animal comparisons.

"**Come on, I'll show you my bedroom." **

**They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way, zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Harry just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap. **

Luna and Hermione snickered once again. Everyone smiled at the two girls in amusement, they were getting used to their giggles whenever Ginny was mentioned.

"**Ginny," said Ron. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy. She never shuts up **

**normally —" **

"Well what girl her age wouldn't be if their childhood crush, whom happens to be her brother's best friend was there in her home." Lily rolled her eyes.

**They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM. **

**Harry stepped in, his head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange:**

All the Quidditch fanatics groaned.

"A Canons fan I'm guessing?" Regulus asked looking ill.

"One of the biggest you'll ever meet." Hermione replied.

"…And probably the only." Sirius whispered to James who snorted.

**the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Harry realized that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically. **

"**Your Quidditch team?" said Harry. **

"**The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league." **

"That's an improvement. They're in twelfth now." Lucius commented.

**Ron's school spellbooks were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature **_**The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle.**_

Lily, Severus, Hermione, Frank and Luna laughed at the title of the comic book.

**Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog spawn on the windowsill, next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.**

Hermione and Luna tensed at the mention of the rat. Thankfully no one noticed this time.

**Harry stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window. In the field far below he could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasleys' hedge.**

All the teens laughed at that.

**Then he turned to look at Ron, who was watching him almost nervously, as though waiting for his opinion. **

"**It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that room you had with the Muggles. And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning…" **

"They have a ghoul?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The ghoul's not that bad. He goes about his business and we go about ours and there usually isn't a problem." Hermione replied.

**But Harry, grinning widely, said, "This is the best house I've ever been in." **

**Ron's ears went pink.**

"That's the end of that chapter." Amelia said marking the book and closing it.

"The Burrow sounds awesome." Lily grinned.

"I think it's time for some lunch." Minerva said as she got up and headed to the dining room. Everyone else followed behind her chatting about what they have read so far. Hermione and Luna smiled softly and quickly checked on Valentina and also headed to lunch.


	4. Chapter 4 - At Flourish and Blotts

**A/N: **Thanks everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed me and my story. Sorry for the slow updates but I'm a little pressed for time at the moment and trying to write as much as I can.

Christmas is coming hard and fast and I hadn't even been shopping yet! eep! Anyway, Hope you like this next chapter, so much is going on in the original book that I didn't know where to start. I hope my additional comments make sense somewhat.

As always, Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 4 - At Flourish and Blotts**

Today's lunch consisted of an delicious Indian Menu, there was Vegetable Samosas and Reshimi Kebabs, Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, coconut rice, Garlic Naan and Roti. For dessert, Juno had made a Kulfi Mango (Mango Ice Cream) and Mango Lassi for refreshments.

Once everyone was fed and watered, they all headed back to the lounges to begin the readings.

Alice picked up the book and turned to the next chapter. **"Chapter Four - At Flourish and Blotts."**

"This sounds good. Nothing can go wrong at the bookshop." Dorea said with a positive smile.

Luna and Hermione cringed and instantly thought "You'll see."

**Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive.**

"Well, of course it would be. They'd treat you like a human being." Remus growled.

**The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered;**

"Well the Dursleys aren't exactly normal were they?" Regulus snorted. "Purebloods like things to be in order as well, but a home wouldn't be a home without something strange and chaotic going on."

No one disagreed with him there.

**the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected. Harry got a shock the first time he looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, **_**"Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!"**_

"The one at Potter Manor does that to Jamesy boy all the time." Sirius chortled, making everyone laugh. James just glared at his "Brother" for that traitorous act.

**The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal.**

All the Marauders grinned widely, while the others looked on in amusement.

**What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him. **

"That shouldn't be unusual, life shouldn't be like that." Charlus growled, thinking about the Dursleys.

**Mrs. Weasley fussed over the state of his socks and tried to force him to eat fourth helpings at every meal.**

Augusta tutted. "She shouldn't force him; it will only make him sicker. She should let him eat at his own pace."

"Why hasn't anyone taken him to see a healer? It's obvious that he's been lacking the essential vitamins and minerals and suffering from some sort of malnutrition. He's been to the hospital wing, why hadn't a diagnostic check been done on him?" Minerva pondered.

"I think they assumed it was just because of James and Lily's tiny stature at his age. Although he did get his growth spurt, he was still small compared to the other boys. Madam Pomfrey didn't know she had to look for anything out of the ordinary, she only checked for any injures which may have happened due to Quidditch or whatever incident." Hermione replied.

Everyone frowned at that information. So many adults around him and not one noticed there was something wrong?

**Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked. **

Once again, those who were friends with Arthur laughed. It was so typically him.

"_**Fascinating**_**." he would say as Harry talked him through using a telephone. "**_**Ingenious**_**, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic." **

Frank, Severus and Luna who were most knowledgeable about the muggle world nodded.

**Harry heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after he had arrived at the Burrow.**

Lily clapped her hands excitedly causing everyone to smile or grin at her.

**He and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun.**

All the males snickered at Ginny's clumsiness. Suddenly each male was elbowed or whacked with a cushion by their "girls" in Regulus' case it was Narcissa who elbowed him very hard in the ribs.

**Pretending he hadn't noticed this, Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him. **

"He's such a gentleman, unlike his father." Dorea said narrowing her eyes at James, causing giggles from the females and looks of amusement from the males. James found his shoes very interesting all of a sudden.

"**Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink.**

"Why green?" Sirius whined.

"Why not?" Minerva glared causing Sirius to hide behind Hermione's shoulder, who rolled her eyes and shrugged him away from her shoulder.

"If you must know, it's her favourite colour." Moody grinned at the glare that was suddenly shifted to him.

Sirius looked a little ill but remained quiet, he didn't want to be hexed by his professor anytime soon.

"**Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry — doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas. **

**For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year. **

Lily, Remus and Severus leaned forward eagerly.

_**SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE: **_

_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2by Miranda Goshawk **_

_**Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

_**Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

_**43 Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

_**Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

_**Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

_**Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart **_

All the teens who had the pleasure of meeting Lockhart were gobsmacked.

"Seriously, that peacock wrote that many books?" Amelia grimaced.

"That and a few more, his very well published in our time." Luna confirmed.

"What's the bet the new DADA teacher is a witch?" James snorted.

"You're on, I think its Lockhart himself." Regulus said putting down a galleon.

"I'm with Reg." said Sirius as he put his money down.

"I'm with Jamesy boy." Alice said placing her bet. Lily raised an eyebrow at her while she wrote down the bets. "What? No sane person would hire that idiot, to be the DADA teacher."

Hermione and Luna tried to keep their faces and body neutral but it was Narcissa who saw the amusement in their eyes and giggled. _Boy they were in for an entertaining year_ she thought to herself.

**Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's. **

"**You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan — bet it's a witch." **

James got up and bowed at Fred's comment "Great minds think alike" he said pompously.

**At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade. **

This caused all the teens to snicker.

"**That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…" **

"**Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."**

"Ohh… fan girl is starting this year." Sirius said gleefully. Hermione and Luna giggled, it really was entertaining when it came to Ginny and her crush on Harry.

"**Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny. **

**She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.**

This time not even the females could hold back, they all laughed at the Ginny's accident prone attitude because of her crush.

**Fortunately no one saw this except Harry, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest. **

"School hadn't started yet." Alice sighed. "Even Frank wasn't that bad when he got his head boy badge" This made all the teens laugh at Frank and his obsession with polishing his head boy badge.

Frank pouted at his girlfriend who just patted him on the head like a little puppy.

"**Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day." **

**He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a molting, gray feather duster — at least, that was what Harry thought it was, until he saw that it was breathing. **

"Errol." Hermione and Luna groaned.

"**Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "**_**Finally**_**— he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys." **

"I bet you were relieved, knowing something was being done." Dorea smiled.

"Yes I was, I assumed the worse by then." She replied.

**He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic."**

"Poor Errol." Alice sighed.

**Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud: **

"_**`Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there, **_

"_**`I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too.**_

"Even when you aren't there you're putting them in line." Amelia giggled.

"Someone has to; Harry just has a habit of getting stuck in dangerous situations that are beyond his control. Whereas Ron, jumps before he thinks and always does something stupid and doesn't think of the consequences." Luna replied.

Hermione smiled at her friend and gave her a side hug.

_**I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish your one off. **_

"He really looked like he was on the brink of death." Hermione said sadly.

"_**I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'— **_**How can she be?" said Ron in horror. **

"What?" James and Sirius gasped in horror.

"You do realise we get summer work." Regulus said to his brother and friend "Has Ron not realised this?"

"He does, but then again it's Ron. He doesn't do it during the school year; I'm not surprised he doesn't care enough to do it during summer break. He'd panic and do it at the last minute like he always does." Hermione shrugged.

"**We're on vacation! —**_**'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley? **_

_**Let me know what's happening as soon as you can.**_

_**Love from Hermione.'" **_

"Love?" James wriggled his eyebrows at his sister.

"She writes love on all her letters to her friends and family." Luna defended.

"Ew." Hermione said looking a little green. "I was twelve, at the time and don't ever do that again." She shuddered.

"**Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?" **

"Quidditch!" James and Sirius yelled.

**Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. **

All the Quidditch fanatics cheered.

**They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for one another to catch. They took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies. **

"Yeah when it gets like that, you definitely need a new broom." Charlus winced.

Alice sighed, _if only it were that easy_.

**Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy.**

"I don't know why they bothered. Percy likes being on a broom as much as I do." Hermione giggled.

"That and he's too busy writing his girlfriend." Sirius smirked.

"He doesn't have one." James countered.

"You'll see."

**Harry had only seen Percy at mealtimes so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time. **

"**Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all." **

"Twelve, very nice." Remus said clearly impressed.

"**Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look. "Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame." **

"There's nothing wrong with being head boy." said Charlus, Albus, Lucius, Henry and Frank.

"It's not that. I think the Weasley siblings, it is something their mother wanted and not something they aspire to be. She doesn't realise all her children are different and aren't Bill or Percy and always pushes them to be something they aren't. They've been brought up to think it there was no better honor than to be headboy or prefect and their mother will only love them more if they do." Luna explained.

"Unfortunately that's an ongoing battle she has with all her children but Percy, because he has achieved what she wanted her children to have done. Unfortunately, that will come back and bite her on the ass in our fifth year." Hermione added. "She knows her children won't be the people she imagines them to be but she keeps on trying to force them to be someone they're not. Bill and Charlie moved away for that reason, they felt like they were suffocating and rebelled by taking career paths and acted and dressed in a way she deemed in appropriate."

"That's ridiculous; she should let them be who they want to be. She sounds like she's becoming a little bit too controlling. I don't think she does it intentionally but she doesn't realise that trying to change them to suit her ideals hurts them." Alice sighed while Frank rubbed her back in comfort.

Everyone stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. Why would anyone do that to their children? Yes there are rules and boundaries that all children should be brought up by, but to try and force your ideals on them is wrong.

**Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry had never met either of them, but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.**

"**Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…" **

"They shouldn't be worrying about that. That's something parents should be worrying about. Molly and Arthur know there is funding available but she really is being too prideful and her children are suffering because of it." Minerva frowned.

**Harry said nothing. He felt a bit awkward. Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him. Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that he had money; you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts in Muggle shops.**

"I guess no one told him that he can exchange it for muggle currency?" Henry sighed.

"I didn't know he wasn't aware of it. I thought Hagrid told him because he was the person who brought him his Hogwarts letter." Hermione replied.

Henry nodded in understanding.

**He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; he didn't think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.**

"If they knew that Harry had money I wouldn't be surprised if they tried something to get their hands on it." Sirius scowled.

No one disagreed with him.

**Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, **

"That's a bit excessive isn't it?" Lucius said in awe. "No wonder they are struggling, spending it all on food."

"It does, doesn't it? I've always known the Weasley children to have very large appetites and unfortunately, Molly likes to encourage it with her large portions of food. That's how she expresses her love I guess." Luna replied.

"I'm not saying they should starve the children, but they could save so much money by cutting down portion sizes. They're excessively large appetites are due to their eating habits, I understand they are growing children but it's just not normal to eat half a dozen sandwiches per child. In some societies, that could be considered abuse." Augusta said shaking her head.

**they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.**

"**We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today… Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!" **

All the teens face palmed or shook their heads. She is honestly clueless.

"He's new to the wizarding world Molly; you should know that if you listened to your sons. He's never travelled by floo before." Alice scowled.

**And she offered him the flowerpot. **

**Harry stared at them all watching him. **

"**W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered. **

"**He's never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot." **

Hermione snorted and shook her head. Funny that he seems to forget lots of important things, but him about Quidditch and he instantly remembers every foul, every goal and every move any player has ever made.

"**Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?" **

"**I went on the Underground —" **

"**Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there **_**escapators**_**? How exactly —" **

Everyone laughed at Arthur's muggle obsession.

"It's escalators." Luna corrected making everyone laugh some more.

"**Not **_**now**_**, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before —" **

"She's worrying too much, he'll be fine. He's a quick learner." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"**He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first." **

**He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. **

**With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished. **

"**You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate…" **

"**The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too. **

"**Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly —" **

"**He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder too. **

"**But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?" **

"Probably think it's hilarious that he got lost in a fireplace somewhere." Severus sneered.

"**They wouldn't mind," Harry reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that —" **

"**Well… all right… you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going." **

"**And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised. **

"**And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot —" **

"**Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace —" **

"**But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George." **

"They're confusing him; he'll be fine, he just needs to know how to do it. If anything they should tell him to take off his glasses and that's it. Too much information is very off putting, he doesn't need to know all that." Narcissa said getting frustrated with the woman.

"Yeah, I broke mine so many times." James groaned.

Everyone nodded.

**Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash. **

Everyone groaned.

"**D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.**

"Not good." Regulus winced.

**It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast — the roaring in his ears was deafening — he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick —**

"I keep forgetting how accurate his descriptions are." Frank shuddered at the feeling, he hated flooing.

**something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly,**

Everyone absentmindedly rubbed their own; they had all done that at one point or another.

**still spinning and spinning — now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face — squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond — his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him — **

"And that's why you don't eat and floo. It's worse because of the amount of sandwiches he must have eaten." Lucius sighed.

**he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then… **

**He fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap. **

James groaned.

**Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, he got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes. He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop — but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list. **

**A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling.**

Lucius, Dorea and the Blacks all groaned.

"He's in Borgin and Burkes, mother's favourite shop." Regulus said shaking his head.

"He's landed himself in Knockturn Alley to be exact." Narcissa explained to the others.

Those who didn't before instantly understood.

"He needs to get out of there now, that's not a place for any youngster to be, especially Harry." Dorea said nervously.

"Great." Lily muttered

**Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley. **

**The sooner he got out of here, the better. Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth, Harry made his way swiftly and silently toward the door, but before he'd got halfway toward it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass — and one of them was the very last person Harry wanted to meet when he was lost, covered in soot, and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy. **

Everyone groaned.

"Harry's luck." Remus sighed.

"What's Draco doing there?" Narcissa asked confusedly.

**Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to his left; he shot inside it and pulled the doors closed, leaving a small crack to peer through.**

Hermione and Luna's eyes narrowed at the cabinet. They made note to do something about it as soon as they could.

**Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop. **

**The man who followed could only be Draco's father.**

Lucius paled.

"It's okay Lucius. We told you already, you aren't accountable for your book self's actions." Dorea tutted.

Lucius smiled weakly and nodded.

**He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco." **

"Good advice Lucius, Merlin knows what those objects do." Charlus shuddered.

**Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present." **

"Brat and it certainly not from there, if I have anything to do with it." Narcissa growled.

"**I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter. **

_Yeah and don't forget the whole team._ Hermione thought bitterly but shook her head of that thought. Lucius isn't the same person, his changing.

"**What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's **_**famous**_**… famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead…" **

Everyone glared at the Draco in the book.

**Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls. **

"Really?" Luna shuddered.

"… **everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful **_**Potter **_**with his **_**scar **_**and his **_**broomstick **_**—" **

"Someone sounds jealous." Regulus snorted.

"It's only because he wasn't getting his way so he's just acting like a petulant child." Hermione sighed. "Expect a lot of whining, that was what Draco used to be like."

"**You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son.**

"Even you were sick of his whining." Severus smirked.

"**And I would remind you that it is not — prudent — to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear — ah, Mr. Borgin." **

**A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face. **

Sirius made to comment about Severus and Mr Borgin but winced when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. She fingered her wand subtly when he pouted at her and he instantly behaved himself.

"**Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted — and young Master Malfoy, too — charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced —" **

"**I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy. **

Most of the room looked at Lucius confusedly. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"That would have disappointed him. He's always hoping to make a big sale, when to a member of an member of one of the noble houses pays him a visit." Sirius shuddered.

"**Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face. **

"**You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few — ah — items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…" **

"Ah." Henry observed. "Your book self is getting worried Lucius."

"Reputation on the line, he can't risk that." Lucius sneered. He starting to see the resemblance between his book self and his father, and he did not like that one bit.

**Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list. **

"**The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?" **

"Even if it is corrupt, the Ministry needs to be seen that their doing their job." Charlus commented.

**Mr. Malfoy's lip curled. **

"**I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act — no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it —" **

Everyone growled at the book. Even Lucius looked ashamed at himself.

**Harry felt a hot surge of anger. **

"— **and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear —" **

"**I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see…" **

"**Can I have **_**that**_**?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion. **

"No." Narcissa snapped, not bothering to ask what it was.

"**Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir." **

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. "I don't think you'd be too impressed, he complimented yet insulted you at the same time and can be taken anyway."

"**I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant —" **

"**Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for —" **

"Draco is one of the best in our year. He tops me in potions and isn't far behind in charms, ancient ruins and History of Magic." Hermione replied "He definitely kept me on my toes in Arithmacy and transfiguration."

Narcissa and Lucius smiled proudly.

"**It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger —" **

"I doubt it. Mia works hard for her grades, if the last book is anything to go by." Narcissa scowled at her son.

Hermione smiled at her cousin in thanks.

"**I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy. **

"Was that a compliment Lucius?" Hermione teased, making everyone laugh.

"I probably was, very deep down but bigoted attitude and my pride won't let me openly say it."

"**Ha!" said Harry under his breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry. **

"**It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere —" **

"As it should be and it will be very important to our cause." Moody growled.

"**Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring. **

"**No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin, with a deep bow. **

"**In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today —" **

**They started to haggle. Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. Draco paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, **

_**Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed — Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date. **_

Most of the room gasped.

"How did Muggles get hold of such a cursed object?" Amelia asked appalled.

"Muggle baiting." Moody growled. "That's what Arthur's department is about, to prevent all these things. Unfortunately, a thing like this does slip through the cracks because he doesn't have enough funding or staff to assist his cause."

Hermione and Luna both shuddered, both boys seated beside them looked at them worriedly. They caught each other's eye and both remember to take note of the necklace in future.

**Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward — he stretched out his hand for the handle **

Everyone shifted nervously, they didn't want to think what would happen if the Malfoys caught him there.

"**Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, Draco —" **

**Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away.**

"**Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods." **

**The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner. **

Lucius and the younger Blacks all snorted.

"Typical. Anything to satisfy the needs of the rich and wealthy." Sirius said darkly.

"**Good day yourself, **_**Mister **_**Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's hidden in your **_**manor**_**…" **

_It most certainly is true,_ Severus thought.

**Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Harry waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as he could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door.**

"Here's the hard bit, he'll be instantly recognised for who he is. Can you imagine the talk if the great Harry Potter was found in Knockturn Alley?" Luna said bitterly.

No one disagreed with her there, Knockturn Alley was already the darkest of places, and one could only imagine if Harry was recognised.

**Clutching his broken glasses to his face, Harry stared around. **

"I really should've performed the impenetrable charm on his glasses." Hermione sighed.

Everyone smiled at her in amusement, out of all the things to think about.

**He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders.**

"Acromantula." Amelia shuddered to everyone's amusement.

Luna wondered how she'd feel about the Arcomantulas in the forest.

**Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. **

"They probably recognised him and were keeping a close eye on him so they could alert the media of any suspicious acts." Charlus said bitterly.

**Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he'd be able to find a way out of here. **

**An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Harry had never heard of such a place. He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes back in the Weasleys' fire. Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do. **

"**Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in his ear, making him jump. **

Sirius and Regulus said a few choice words in French causing Hermione, Narcissa and Lucius to look at them in amusement.

**An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails.**

"Ew." Amelia gagged.

**She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry backed away. **

"**I'm fine, thanks," he said. "I'm just —" **

"**HARRY! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?" **

Everyone relaxed at the recognisable dialogue.

**Harry's heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts' gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard. **

"**Hagrid!" Harry croaked in relief. "I was lost — Floo powder —" **

"Talk later Harry, just get out of there!" Lily scolded.

**Hagrid seized Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance — Gringotts Bank. Hagrid had steered him right into Diagon Alley. **

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's safe." Minerva smiled softly.

"Thank goodness for Hagrid." Dorea beamed.

"**Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Harry so forcefully he nearly knocked him into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary.**

"Hagrid really does forget his strength sometimes." Remus chuckled. Now that Harry was in the clear, everyone felt at ease and laughed freely along with him.

"**Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno dodgy place, Harry — don' want no one ter see yeh down there —" **

"**I realized **_**that**_**," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. "I told you, I was lost — what were you doing down there, anyway?" **

"Hagrid goes there to buy feed for rarer animals and ministry approved products for the crops." Albus explained.

"_**I **_**was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?" **

"**I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained. "I've got to go and find them…" **

"I would imagine Molly would be beside herself." Minerva shook her head.

**They set off together down the street. **

"**How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry jogged alongside him (he had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys. **

"**Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known —" **

"**Harry! Harry! Over here!" **

**Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her. **

Everyone smiled at her in amusement causing her to blush brightly.

"I was excited to see him. I didn't know what had happened and only heard bits and pieces through owl from Ron."

"**What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid — Oh, it's **_**wonderful **_**to see you two again — Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?" **

"**As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry. **

"**Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin. **

**Harry and Hermione looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley. **

Everyone smiled Harry being reunited with the Weasleys.

"**Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We **_**hoped **_**you'd only gone one grate too far…" He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic — she's coming now —" **

"**Where did you come out?" Ron asked. **

"**Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly. **

"_**Excellent!" **_**said Fred and George together. **

"**We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously. **

"I certainly hope not." Moody growled.

"**I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid. Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other. **

All the females cooed at Ginny, causing Hermione and Luna to giggle. They forgot how innocent Ginny had acted around her mother.

"**Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —" **

"Dangerous as Knockturn Alley may be, but thankfully it wasn't too far from the others." Henry muttered.

**Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.**

"**Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street. **

"**Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father." **

"**Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them. **

"**No, he was selling —" **

"**So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…" **

"**You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —" **

"Ouch, that's got to hurt. She totally just emasculated him in front of the children." Sirius winced.

"**So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them. **

"**But you're **_**Muggles**_**!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand. **

Everyone burst out in laughter including Lucius and Moody.

"My parents were a little caught off guard at first, they thought he was insane. When I explained to them about Arthur and all things muggle, we had a good laugh." Hermione giggled.

"**Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin. **

**The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag. **

Everyone shifted awkwardly in their own seats. They would feel exactly the same if they were in Harry's situation.

Alice frowned. "Hang on, what about the Prewett inheritance? If Fabian and Gideon was the last Prewetts, the money should have gone to Molly."

"Uh, well, I don't know the full details but Great Aunty Muriel was very much alive and living at Prewett Mansion, so I think it would be a good while before she passes. So technically they weren't the last Prewetts but I'm sure Gideon and Fabian left them something at one point or another." Hermione replied.

**Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan.**

The Marauders cheered at the twins and Lee being reunited.

**Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. **

"**We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.**

"I don't think they would have overstepped that request. They knew well enough not to go in there." Luna smiled fondly.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams,**

"That was nice of him." Charlus commented.

"It was Mr Fortescue new flavour promotion; I think he was just so glad to see us and free to do as he pleased without the Dursleys on his back." Hermione smiled.

Sirius' tummy rumbled once again at the mention food causing him to blush. "We just ate." Hermione said in shock.

He just grinned sheepishly and held his hands up in defence. "I'm a growing boy and that ice cream sounded good."

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled out a Mars Bar from her bag and handed to him. Everyone else looked on in amusement.

**which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,**

"Excellent." James grinned rubbing his hands together excitedly. Lily sighed and shook her head.

**and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called **_**Prefects Who Gained Power**_**. **

"That's an interesting title." Amelia said wrinkling her nose.

"_**A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," **_**Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds **_**fascinating**_**…" **

"**Go away," Percy snapped. **

"'**Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out… He wants to be Minister of Magic…" Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it. **

"Percy a Minister? He'd have to fight Amelia for it." Alice snorted.

Amelia blushed and stuck her tongue out at her friend causing everyone to laugh.

Hermione smiled sadly. If Amelia did survive she was a shoo-in for Minister not that Kingsley wasn't doing a great job.

**An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows: **

_**GILDEROY LOCKHART **_

_**will be signing copies of his autobiography **_

_**MAGICAL ME **_

_**today 12:30P. 4:30P.M. **_

All the teens groaned.

"Great the git is in the book." James whined.

"Get used to it, because his going to be the DADA professor." Sirius said confidently.

"You wish." He countered.

"**We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" **

Everyone errupted out in laughter and turned to look at said girl, who was trying to hide her embarrassment behind her hands.

"I think someone has a widdle crush on Lockhart." James teased only to receive a cushion in the face from his sister.

"I was twelve and a little impressionable."

"You liked the peacock?" Amelia was appalled.

"I wasn't the only one. Susan did too as many others but I think we just admired him for what he did in the books."

Amelia looked positively ill knowing that her niece had a crush on the idiot. Sirius meanwhile was looking at the girl seated next to him like she was going insane and put his hand to her forehead to check her temperature.

"Quit it Sirius! I'm perfectly sane." She muttered smacking his hand away causing everyone to roll their eyes at the two of them. _Yep they were definitely meant for each other_, they all thought.

**The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies… Don't push, there… mind the books, now…"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of **_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 **_**and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger. **

"**Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair.**

Everyone erupted out in laughter once again. Hermione was just glad it wasn't at her expense this time.

"**We'll be able to see him in a minute…" **

**Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd.**

All the teens looked positively ill, none more so than the males.

"And I thought you were vain Luc, he is beyond a joke." Regulus gaged.

Lucius raised an eyebrow at him and did the mature thing and threw a cushion at him causing everyone to laugh. The elders couldn't help but grin; it was something the normally composed Lucius wouldn't have done in the past, clearly he was starting to become a different person.

**The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. **

**A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash. **

"**Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the **_**Daily Prophet **_**—" **

"Who cares!" All the teens yelled.

"Unfortunately a lot of people do." Luna said sadly.

"**Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. **

**Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron — and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It **_**can't **_**be Harry Potter?" **

Everyone groaned.

"It's just not his day is it?" Frank sighed.

"Nope, like we said. When Harrys luck is good, it's very good. When it's bad, it's very bad." Hermione replied.

**The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys. **

"**Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page." **

"He's using Harry to boost his sales and extra publicity?" Lily screeched. "There should be laws against this!"

Hermione and Luna nodded. Everyone else growled. He had no right to exploit Harry's fame like that.

**When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side. **

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SON." James said darkly, making everyone shift uneasily in their seats. When James got like this there was no turning back.

"**Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! **

"**When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography — which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge —" The crowd applauded again.**

"He doesn't need your charity." Lily growled.

"**He had no **_**idea**_**," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, **_**Magical Me**_**. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"**

"WHAT?" Everyone yelled and glared at Albus.

"You think it wise Albus?" Minerva was appalled.

"They'd be better without a teacher, that twit couldn't even do a simple disarming spell." Amelia growled.

"There may have been a reason why he was hired, I'm sure his capable enough in otherwise I would not have hired him." Albus replied. Shuddering at the dark looks sent his way.

"Let's hope for your safety your right Albus or I'm going to hex you six ways from Sunday." Dorea growled. Albus took a deep breath and gulped, he certainly didn't want to meet the end of her wand.

Sirius and Regulus grinned realising they won the bet stuck their hands out to James and Alice who handed over the money with groans.

**The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron. **

"**You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own —"**

Lily and James smiled proudly at their son, they were surprised Harry had turned out the way he had with the type of upbringing he had experienced. They were so glad that he had not turned out like the Dursleys.

"**Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing.**

"Of course, Malfoy Junior, should have known he would have made a reappearance." Regulus sighed.

Lucius shifted uneasily in his chair not liking the fact that his son was the way he was because of him.

**He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer. **

"_**Famous **_**Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a **_**bookshop **_**without making the front page." **

Everyone including Lucius and Narcissa glared at the book.

"**Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny.**

All the females and cooed at Ginny jumping to Harry's defence. The Marauders cooed as well although mockingly, they all received a glare from all the females young and elder. They grinned sheepishly much to the amusement of the rest of the males.

**It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy. **

"**Potter, you've got yourself a **_**girlfriend**_**!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books. **

"**Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?" **

Alice groaned. "I see what you mean. Still, he shouldn't assume it was Draco who sent Dobby to him. If he lets his mouth run off, one of these days it's only going to come back and bite him."

Hermione smiled sadly. _Yep, he paid for it alright._ After Ron's abandonment during the hunt, the trust between the trio hadn't been the same. Yes, they were still friends, but Harry and Hermione weren't as close with Ron as they used to be.

"**Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." **

**Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket. **

"Awww, why'd you do that for? He'd have deserved what was coming to him." Sirius pouted.

"I certainly was all for it but it certainly wasn't the place or the time. Besides, I got him back later." Hermione grinned mischievously making all the males shudder.

Luna snorted in laughter, recalling the story she was told. Everyone looked at her confused. "You'll see." She grinned, making them groan.

"**Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside." **

"**Well, well, well — Arthur Weasley." **

Everyone including Lucius tensed at those words.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Lucius asked awkwardly. Hermione just gave him a sad smile and shrugged, she didn't want to sugar coat something that she knew was beyond her control.

**It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way. **

"**Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly. **

"**Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids… I hope they're paying you overtime?"**

**He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of **_**A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration**_**. **

"**Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"**

Lucius was looking quiet pale and staring guiltily at his hands; Narcissa had her arms around him and was trying to comfort him somewhat.

Sirius was about to say something but Hermione grabbed his hand and looked pointedly in Lucius' direction. Sirius sighed and nodded in understanding, Lucius was already beating himself up about it, there was no point in adding to that pain.

**Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny. **

"**We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said. **

"**Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower." **

"Sorry Mia. I don't mean to insult your parents." Lucius whispered.

Hermione sighed and got up to sit next to her _'Cousin'_. "It's okay Lucius, you're a different person now, stop feeling guilty for the actions that were in the past or haven't happened yet. Please stop hurting yourself because I'm telling you now, this is only the beginning."

Lucius sighed and nodded in understanding. Hermione pulled him in to a hug before heading back to seat and signalled for Alice to continue reading. Sirius smiled sadly and pulled her to his side in comfort.

**There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.**

"Go Arthur!" A majority of the room cheered.

**Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please — please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all — **

"**Break it up, there, gents, break it up —" **

**Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an **_**Encyclopedia of Toadstools**_**.**

Lucius winced, knowing that must have hurt.

**He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice. **

Luna and Hermione twitched slightly and hoped the boys beside them didn't notice anything. Unbeknownst to them, they had. Once again they had a silent conversation to keep a closer eye on the girls.

"**Here, girl — take your book — it's the best your father can give you —" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop. **

"**Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that — no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter — bad blood, that's what it is — come on now — let's get outta here." **

"In Arthur's defence I think he had something to prove to Molly. She basically emasculated him in front of the children and which is a real blow to the ego. He was most likely still upset by the earlier comment and feeling a little in adequate and needed to prove to her that he was decent enough match for Lucius." Remus explained his observation.

No on disagreed with him there, they would have all done the same in Arthur's situation.

**The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury. **

They were fine, they just weren't comfortable with being exposed to a such a world and to see all the commotion just shook them up a bit." Hermione explained.

"**A fine example to set for your children… **_**brawling **_**in public… **_**what **_**Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought —"**

"Who cares what that idiot thinks?" Severus sneered.

"**He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the **_**Daily Prophet **_**if he'd be able to work the fight into his report — said it was all publicity —" **

"Of course." Lily snarled.

**But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. **

**Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't his favorite way to travel.**

Everyone chuckled at Harry's thoughts.

"That was the end of that chapter." Alice said handing the book over to Frank.


	5. Not a Chapter - Author Note

**Author Note: **Hi All,

Unfortunately, this isn't a chapter update. I have had a family member pass away unexpectedly and will need to spend time with family. Thank you all for reading and being patient with my unpredictable schedule. I don't think I'll be able to upload this week but I will try and write and upload soon.


	6. Not a Chapter - Author Note 2

**Author Note: **Hi All,

I just want to thank everyone for their kind words and support, it has been a rough couple of days but my family and I are getting there. Unfortunately, the person I lost has always been a father figure to me whilst growing up and I will miss him dearly. The loss of this family member, has made me a permanent guardian to his 12 year old son. I hope everyone's holidays have been a joyful experience so far and no one has suffered a loss like mine.

I have been reading stories by other Authors for a bit of distraction and I must say there are great ones out there. I hope to be writing soon as soon as I get myself and my younger cousin settled in to a routine. My intention is to complete all 7 books, which I hope answers some readers out there. Until then, thank you all for your patience.


	7. Chapter 5 - The Whomping Willow

**A/N: **Hi Everyone, I just want to thank everyone for their kind and heart felt messages, every single one of them is appreciated. It has been a hard couple of weeks and it will continue to be difficult for a while for my new little family.

Over the weekend I was left by myself in an empty house and thought I'd dedicate some of my time writing. I'm not sure when the next one will be written up but as soon as I get a little bit of free time, I'll be sure to complete the next chapter.

Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed me and my story. As always, enjoy and happy reading! Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**CHAPTER 5 ****- ****The Whomping Willow**

Frank cleared his throat and read. "Chapter Five – The Whomping Willow."

Narcissa groaned. "I honestly don't want to know."

"What's that?" Charlus asked, all the elders (bar the Professors) were clearly confused.

"A very violent but valuable tree, it planted at Hogwarts in my fifth year." Lucius replied.

Meanwhile, the Marauders exchanged worried looks.

**The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Harry's liking.**

"Always does." James sighed dramatically, making his parents shake their heads at him.

**He was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had been the happiest of his life.**

Everyone sighed. He should have had the time of his life since he was old enough to remember.

**It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when he thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome he could expect next time he turned up on Privet Drive. **

There were hisses and growls at the reminder.

"Don't think on it Harry. You've got a good while until you have to see them again." Luna said sadly trying to sound positive.

**On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouthwatering treacle tart.**

Lily smiled, that was her favorite as well.

**Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour.**

"Ah, so that's what some of the fireworks were for." Alice grinned.

**Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed. **

**It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills;**

Alice frowned at that. _Molly seems to always be in some sort of mood_, she thought to herself.

**people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car. **

"I wasn't there that year but that happens every year. It wouldn't be the Weasley's if there wasn't some sort of craziness going on. It's tradition." Hermione giggled.

**Harry couldn't see how eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. He had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added.**

Those who knew Arthur smiled fondly.

"**Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry as he opened the trunk and showed him how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily. **

Laughs were shared at Arthur's inability to control his actions when it comes to muggle objects.

**When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles **_**do **_**know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?" **

This only made everyone laugh harder.

"He should hope that Molly doesn't find out." Charlus chuckled.

**Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Harry turning back for a last look at the house.**

This made everyone smile, even Moodys mouth twitched slightly.

**He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back. George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary.**

Luna and Hermione tensed at the mention of the Diary. Once again the boys noticed and became worried.

"Couldn't all those things be sent on by owl? Instead of wasting all that time?" Alice frowned.

"That would be obvious thing to do. She'd probably send on the diary and broomstick, but I highly doubt she will encourage George by sending the fireworks." Minerva replied.

**By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high. **

Those who knew the Weasley's, knew the only temper flaring would be Molly's and couldn't help but wince. Her famous temper definitely matched her fiery hair. They were all glad they weren't there to see her explode.

**Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife. **

"**Molly, dear —"**

"_**No**_**, Arthur —–" **

"**No one would see — this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed —**

"Awesome!" All the males were in awe, even Lucius looked very impressed, Moody was impassive and Albus twinkled.

The females rolled their eyes. _Boys _was one common thought going through their minds.

**that'd get us up in the air — then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser —" **

"**I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight —" **

"Would she have agreed if it was dark?" Amelia asked.

"Doubt it." Luna replied.

**They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven.**

"They're cutting it close." Lily said worryingly.

**Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station. **

**Harry had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.**

"**Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier. **

**Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed. **

"**I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone. **

"I have a bad feeling about this." Dorea groaned.

"I do as well. With the amount of children they were bringing, Arthur could've taken Ginny first and Molly could have stayed behind to make sure they all enter safely." Augusta frowned.

"That would be obvious." Alice quoted her professor.

"Whatever Molly wants, Molly gets." Hermione mumbled. Sirius frowned but gave her hand a assuring squeeze.

"**Let's go together, we've only got a minute," Ron said to Harry. **

**Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier. He felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and — **

**CRASH. **

"Crash?" Lily screeched.

"You'll see." Was Luna's answer.

**Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward;**

"How? That's not possible." Minerva's eyes narrowed.

**Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly;**

Everyone winced.

"Not good." Remus groaned.

**people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?" **

"**Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up.**

"That's believable." Moody said approvingly.

**Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd. **

"**Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron. **

"**I dunno —"**

"Dobby." Regulus, Frank and Lucius said in realization.

Everyone groaned.

**Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them. **

"**We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself —" **

"Even if it did unseal itself, they wouldn't have been able to go through. The muggles would have noticed because they've drawn so much attention to themselves." Henry sighed.

**Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ten seconds… nine seconds… **

**He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid. **

**Three seconds… two seconds… one second… **

"**It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us?**

"They'd just apparate to an alley way close by so they can get to the car." Charlus replied.

**Have you got any Muggle money?" **

Severus snorted at that. _Doubt it._

**Harry gave a hollow laughed. "The Dursleys haven't given me pocket money for about six years." **

"They gave him some?" James asked in shock.

"Vernon had given Dudley money so he could buy something at the shops and because they were around other muggles they had to give him some as well, otherwise it would look bad." Hermione said bitterly.

As usual, growls and hisses were made.

**Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier. **

"That's not going to work." Regulus rolled his eyes.

"**Can't hear a thing," he said tensely, "What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us." **

**They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches. **

"Dobby might be watching them as well; they should go back and wait for by the car, then send an owl when it is safe to do so. If worse comes to worse, Molly or Arthur can apparate them ahead to Hogsmeade." Minerva commented.

"That would've been the smart thing to do." Hermione muttered but Sirius heard and his eyes went wide in realization.

"I KNEW IT!" Sirius barked in laughter.

"Knew what?" Regulus asked in annoyance.

"You'll see." He grinned.

"**I think we'd better go and wait by the car," said Harry. "We're attracting too much atten —" **

"**Harry!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!" **

"They didn't." Remus laughed, catching on to Sirius' train of thought.

"They did." Luna winced.

"What happened?" Lily asked anxiously.

"You'll see."

Lily scowled.

"**What about it?" **

"**We can fly the car to Hogwarts!" **

The elders paled while the other teens all groaned.

Hermione sighed. "I knew it was Ron's idea."

"**But I thought —" **

"**We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy —" **

"This isn't the type of emergency the law is talking about; his parents are still within the area and will be there shortly it just takes patience. Besides, if they get caught, Arthur can lose his job or even end up in Azkaban." Charlus frowned.

"He doesn't think about those things Papa." Hermione replied.

"**But your Mum and Dad…" said Harry, pushing against the barrier again in the vain hope that it would give way. "How will they get home?" **

"**They don't need the car!" said Ron impatiently.**

"Hey I'm all for adventure and all that stuff; I'm a Marauder but this could get a lot of people in to trouble." James said disbelievingly.

All the elders and Lily smiled at him approvingly. James definitely has matured and they were starting to understand why Albus had chosen him as head boy.

"**They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet…" **

**Harry's feeling of panic turned suddenly to excitement. **

"Of course." Lily sighed.

"**Can you fly it?" **

"Please say no." Alice groaned.

"**No, problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. "C'mon, let's go. If we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express —" **

"It's some sort of plan I suppose." Minerva said pinching the bridge of her nose.

**And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked. **

**Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got into the front. **

"**Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand.**

"It's good they checked but it won't do much once they're in the sky. They'll definitely be exposed if that invisibility booster Arthur installed is faulty." Moody said gruffly.

**Harry stuck his head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty. **

"**Okay," he said. **

"Is it wrong that I'm looking actually forward to hearing how this ends?" Narcissa whispered to Lucius.

"I know what you mean. As much as we dislike it, there is definitely a side of us that wants to hear how this turns out." Lucius grinned.

**Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars. **

Although everyone was nervous and anxious, everyone laughed at Harry's thoughts.

"**Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right. **

**And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them. **

**Then there was a popping noise and the car, Harry, and Ron reappeared. **

Everyone groaned but still remained quiet eager to hear Frank read.

"**Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty —" **

**Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again. **

"They need to get above the clouds, otherwise they'll be seen." Moody growled.

"**Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy. **

"**Now what?" said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides. **

"**We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron. **

"**Dip back down again — quickly —"**

"They're going to have to be quick about it." Henry frowned.

**They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground. **

"**I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead — there!" **

"Thank goodness for Harry's seeker skills. Now they need to go back up again otherwise they'll be seen." Amelia said worriedly.

**The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.**

"**Due north," said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so — hold on —" **

**And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight. **

**It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun. **

"**All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron. **

**They looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop. **

"It does get like that when the adrenalin is pumping through your body, it makes everything funnier." Charlus chuckled but quietened when Dorea sent him a glare.

Everyone else looked on in amusement.

**It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Harry, was surely the only way to travel — past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, **

"That sounds awesome; I love the feeling of flying." Regulus said dreamily. "And, I don't doubt the twins would be jealous when they hear about it."

No one disagreed with him.

**in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment, and the prospect of seeing Fred's and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle. **

"Boys." All the females in the room sighed. All the males grinned sheepishly.

**They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view.**

Moody grunted approvingly. "Good but they shouldn't do it too often."

**London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.**

"It's sounds so beautiful." Luna said wistfully.

**Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off.**

"The adrenalin is wearing off." Charlus chuckled but instantly scowled, when Dorea whacked him with a cushion.

Everyone else tried to stifle their laughter.

**The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Harry's T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat and his glasses kept sliding down to the end of his sweaty nose. He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice-cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. **_**Why **_**hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters? **

"It's because you have a little friend who cares dearly for you. Although unethical with his methods, Dobby is determined to save your hide." Alice grinned.

Lily, James and Lucius smiled.

"**Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?" **

**It was still right below them, winding its way past a snowcapped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds. **

**Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.**

Everyone groaned.

"What now?" Lily moaned.

**Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances. **

"**It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before…" **

"It's a car, it's not human. I hope one of the changes Arthur made is for it to run on magic only and doesn't require petrol because it sounds like a car running out of petrol." Severus said worriedly.

"The Chapter title, _The Whomping Willow_!" Narcissa gasped. "They're going to crash in to that tree!"

"Great! Out of all the trees they had to crash in to the one that hits back." Alice growled.

This made everyone anxious and nervous.

**And they both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Harry pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.**

"**Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to Harry, "not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously. **

"It's not a dog, patting it won't make a difference." Lily growled in frustration.

Hermione and Luna exchanged nervous glances. _Its close enough_, they both thought.

**When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew. **

"_**There**_**!" Harry shouted, making Ron and Hedwig jump. "Straight ahead!" **

**Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle. **

**But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed. **

"**Come on," Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "nearly there, come on —" **

"Why can't they just land the car and walk it? At least they won't have to go near that stupid tree." Alice groaned.

**The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry found himself gripping the edges of his seat very hard as they flew toward the lake. **

**The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of his window, Harry saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again. **

"**Come on," Ron muttered. **

**They were over the lake — the castle was right ahead — Ron put his foot down. **

**There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely. **

Everyone paled.

"**Uh-oh," said Ron, into the silence. **

**The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall. **

"_**Noooooo!" **_**Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.**

**Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket — **

"Don't do that! Always keep your hands on the steering wheel when driving a car!" Lily screeched.

"**STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them — **

"That's not going to work! The car can't hear you!" Severus snarled. "They should focus on trying to land safely where there are no obstructions."

"**WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late — CRUNCH. **

**With an earsplitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt.**

All the teens winced.

"They aren't in the clear yet, knowing Harry's luck." Sirius muttered but loud enough for everyone to hear.

**Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig was shrieking in terror; a golfball-size lump was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan. **

"**Are you okay?" Harry said urgently. **

"**My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand —" **

**It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.**

"That wand needs replacing, it's beyond repair now." Minerva whimpered.

**Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school, but he never even got started. At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull,**

Everyone winced.

**sending him lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof. **

"**What's happen —?" **

**Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it. The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach. **

"You definitely weren't kidding when you said it was violent." Henry muttered.

"**Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in. **

"**Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch. **

"**We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating — the engine had restarted. **

"What?" All the teens yelled.

"_**Reverse**_**!" Harry yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.**

"**That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car —" **

**The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily. **

"Wow, must have been all the enchantments surrounding the car and Hogwarts tapped in to each other; giving it, its own mind." Charlus said hoarsely.

"**Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!" **

"Nah, from what I've seen so far it would be Molly." Sirius chuckled.

Anxiety and nervousness gone; everyone felt they could laugh freely now.

**But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust. **

"**Can you **_**believe **_**our luck?" said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back." **

**He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly. **

"**Come on," said Harry wearily, "we'd better get up to the school…" **

**It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured.**

"You think?" Lucius smirked, making everyone laugh.

**Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors. **

"**I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey — Harry — come and look — it's the Sorting!" **

**Harry hurried over and, together, he and Ron peered in at the Great Hall. **

**Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars. **

Everyone smiled at the reminder of the magical school.

**Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first years filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair.**

Those who were friends with the Weasley's smiled. The Weasley's definitely stood out in a crowd with their fiery hair.

**Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers. **

**Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin). Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified,**

Hermione tensed at the word petrified but it went unnoticed by the others bar Narcissa and Sirius.

**for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other**

Dorea frowned at that. _Not all._

**but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys. Last term, Harry and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years. **

Everyone shifted in their seats at the reminder. Yes they had won, but not without humiliating Slytherin house in the process. They weren't looking forward to the hostility and tension between the two houses, which would surely be seen in the new school year.

**A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. Harry's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Harry saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine.**

All the males looked a little green; no self-respecting male would wear such a colour. Albus meanwhile, was contemplating whether he should get some for himself.

**And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet. **

"**Hang on…" Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table… Where's Snape?" **

This caused everyone to frown. Even Severus was confused.

**Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher.**

Severus groaned. "Not this again."

Luna gave his hand a squeeze.

**Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student.**

"Not anymore." Lily smiled at her friend. Severus smiled back weakly.

**Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions. **

"**Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully. **

"Possibly." Lily said worriedly.

"**Maybe he's **_**left**_**," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job **_**again**_**!" **

"Doubt it." Narcissa commented. "Although he knows a fair bit about defense, it is potions is Severus' specialty, he wouldn't give that up."

Severus nodded.

"**Or he might have been **_**sacked**_**!" said Ron enthusiastically.**

Regulus smirked. "Or maybe his standing right behind them and waiting to strike at the opportune moment."

Those who knew Severus and knew him well grinned. That was typically what he would do.

"**I mean, everyone hates him —" **

"**Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train." **

"Uh oh." Amelia giggled. "You may be right Regulus."

Regulus got up and bowed making everyone including the elders laugh.

**Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape.**

"Bad luck." Alice winced. "No offense Severus, but out of all people, why did it have to be you? Couldn't it have been Filch or something?"

Severus smirked at her in response, however everyone laughed in amusement when she blew him a raspberry in reply.

**He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble. **

Everyone who had seen Severus' evil smile groaned.

"Not good." James said unconsciously rubbing his right shoulder, making his friends and Severus laugh at his expense.

"**Follow me," said Snape. **

**Not daring even to look at each other, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall,**

This made Sirius' tummy rumble quite loudly, once again making everyone roll their eyes at him. Hermione shook her head with a fond smile and dug out a Mars Bar for him to much on, until next break.

**but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons. **

"**In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing. **

**They entered Snape's office, shivering.**

"Oh come on Sev, you could have lit a fire in your office. It's not like there are any potions in there, you've got a lab for that." Regulus chuckled.

When Regulus turned away, Severus threw a cushion at him, knocking him out of his seat. This gained him lots of laughter and a high five from Sirius.

**The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment.**

Narcissa shuddered. Although she was quite good at Potions, she disliked the ominous jars and strange looking ingredients used in potions. It always sent shivers down her spine whenever she saw them.

**The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them. **

"**So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a **_**bang**_**, did we, boys?"**

"They arrived with a _bang_ alright." Augusta grumbled.

"**No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it —"**

"**Silence!" said Snape coldly. **

"Come on, you asked them a question and they were only trying to explain." Amelia sighed.

"**What have you done with the car?" Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds.**

"I hope you're not doing what I think you're doing Sev." Lucius said narrowing his eyes.

"Me too." Severus frowned.

**But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the **_**Evening Prophet**_**.**

"Oh no, they were seen." Dorea groaned.

"**You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline**_**: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. **_**He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police… Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?"**

"Harry's going to be beating himself up about this. As usual, his going to make it seem like it's his fault." Luna sighed.

**he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear… his own son…" **

**Harry felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car… he hadn't thought of that… **

"That should have been obvious in the beginning, especially to Weasley. He knows our laws and knows the consequences of getting caught." Moody growled.

"**I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on. **

"**That tree did more damage to us than we —" Ron blurted out. **

"He really needs to learn not to open his mouth when appropriate." Alice shook her head. "His mouth continuously running off will only get him in more trouble."

"_**Silence**_**!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me.**

"Thank goodness for that. No offense Severus but if it were up to you those boys would be out of there in a flash of light." Lucius commented.

No one disagreed with him.

**I shall go and fetch the people who **_**do **_**have that happy power. You will wait here." **

**Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Harry didn't feel hungry any more. He now felt extremely sick. He tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk.**

Narcissa shivered making Lucius chuckled quietly. He knew she hated gruesome objects but still pulled her to his side and gave her a little squeeze.

**If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict. **

"Sometimes, a little too strict." Minerva mumbled, still feeling guilty from the previous book.

**Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before.**

Those who had seen an angry Minerva McGonagall, shifted uneasily in their seats.

"Not good." Sirius groaned.

**She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched,**

Everyone was in shock, especially Minerva. "I would never!" she exclaimed.

"We know." Albus assured her.

Alice frowned; she understood why Harry would have flinched but Ron? She made a note to keep an eye on the Weasley's from the on. Frank sensing her train of thought nodded his agreement.

**but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted. **

Lily smiled at her professor in thanks.

"**Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire. **

"**Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously. **

"One word instructions, not a good sign." Remus winced. Sirius and James nodded in agreement.

**Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through. **

"— **so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train." **

"**Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe **_**you **_**have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.**

"Even if they did, with Dobby watching, the owls might've been blocked. Their only option would have been to wait for the Weasley's. Unfortunately that did not happen in this instance." Dorea sighed.

**Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done. **

"**I — I didn't think —" **

"**That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."**

The Marauders were in awe.

"Did Minnie just crack a funny?" Sirius gasped.

"I think she did." Remus replied.

James gasped ran up and placed his hand on Minerva's forehead to check her temperature, Minerva glared at him with narrowed eyes. Everyone else looked on in amusement.

**There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. **

**Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave.**

The Marauders groaned.

"I hate that look. It's better that you have yelled sir." Sirius winced remembering the Willow incident.

**He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow. **

**There was a long silence.**

"You do like your guilt trips Albus, I remember seeing those back when we were at Hogwarts." Henry shuddered.

**Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this." **

**It would have been better if he had shouted.**

"Those who had seen this treatment before nodded.

**Harry hated the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees.**

"I hope he told you about Dobby, and hopefully you'd help him. But from Harry's past experience, telling a teacher hasn't always work to his benefit." Dorea frowned.

Minerva scowled. She always thought that her students respected her enough to come to her with their problems. The one time Harry did she disappointed him. She didn't blame Harry for not trusting teachers because of her future self's judgement.

**He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station.**

That last sentence made everyone laugh.

"I doubt that would work." Augusta said with a fond smile.

**He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles. **

"I might have suspected the car had belonged to Arthur and didn't need much of an explanation. I probably wanted to know why they would risk their lives and exposing us by doing such a thing." Albus twinkled.

"**We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice. **

"**What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall. **

"**Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron. **

"I wouldn't expel them over something like this, only life or death situations would expulsion be considered. Maybe a few docked points and a few detentions. Albus replied.

Hermione and Luna rolled their eyes. If life or death situations would incur an expulsion, Ginny should have been expelled her first year but funnily enough, she didn't receive any punishment at all. Luna had a feeling it had to do with Molly Weasley and her fiery temper to have persuaded Albus' decision.

**Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore. **

"**Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you." **

Hermione scoffed. They had been through much more crazier things since the flying car incident and yet there were still not expelled.

**Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled.**

This made everyone laugh, even Severus offered a chuckle.

**He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —" **

"**It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample —" **

Everyone looked at the Headmaster in amusement. Only he would think of sweets and desserts at such a time as this.

**Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.**

"I think their feeling enough guilt to last them a while Minerva, I doubt they are going to cause anymore mischief for a while." Henry chuckled.

"**You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding." **

Everyone looked worried at this.

"He was bleeding? Shouldn't that have been first priority, rather than taking him down to the dungeons?" Amelia gasped.

"It should have." Minerva sighed. _What is wrong with her future self? It seems like she couldn't set her priorities straight._

"**Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted —" **

"**The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor." **

"**Oh, good," said Ron. **

This made everyone laugh.

"**And speaking of Gryffindor —" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so — so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it — should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously. **

This made everyone laugh.

Alice laughed. "The kids got balls. I tell ya that!"

"ALICE!" Lily and Amelia yelled. "Must you be so crass?" Amelia shook her head at her friend.

"You were all thinking it. Someone had to say it." She grinned.

"I was thinking Gryffindor but whatever floats your boat." Regulus laughed.

Everyone else just looked on in amusement.

**Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway. **

Minerva smiled. "I was probably reminded of his father and friends. Only they would ask me such a question."

The Marauders grinned sheepishly as everyone chuckled.

"**I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably.**

The Gryffindor's cheered; Sirius went a step further and did his signature Happy Dance, which they were all used to seeing by now.

"**But you will both get a detention." It was better than Harry had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Harry knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed him flat. **

Hisses and growls were made at the Dursleys.

**Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.**

"**You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast." **

Narcissa looked ill at the thought of having to eat around the strange and eerie objects in Severus' office.

**When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle. **

"I know Ron has insecurities and all and know this would boost his confidence. I just hope it doesn't make his ego inflate too much and make him become cocky. This should be a lesson to him." Alice commented.

"He does tend to let things like this inflate his ego a bit but we've always been there to bring him back down to earth. It just takes time with Ron." Luna replied.

"**I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich. **

"**So did I," said Harry, taking one, too. **

"**Can you believe our luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. **

All the females in the room looked sickened.

"I see he still hasn't learned any manners over the summer." Alice gagged.

"Nope, if anything it probably got worse with age." Hermione said clearly disgusted.

"**Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw **_**them**_**."**

"They were probably more cautious and knew to fly after dark." Moody said gruffly.

"The twins may be Pranksters but they have a good head on their shoulders. They always knew there was a line not to cross and wouldn't intentionally cause anyone harm." Luna explained.

**He swallowed and took another huge bite. "**_**Why **_**couldn't we get through the barrier?" **

**Harry shrugged. "We'll have to watch our step from now on, though,"**

Lily and the Potters smiled approvingly. They all believed in having fun, as long as no one gets hurt.

**he said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast…" **

"**She didn't want us showing off," said Ron sagely. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car." **

Everyone looked incredulous at this.

"He's ego is starting to inflate." Alice groaned.

**When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits **

"Great. Which means the whole school would have known about it by now. The portraits and ghosts are the biggest gossips." Lily groaned.

**and creaking suits of armor, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. **

"**Password?" she said as they approached. **

"**Er —" said Harry. **

**They didn't know the new year's password,**

Minerva face palmed. "I forgot to give them the password. I knew they weren't going to go back up to the feast."

**not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them. **

All the teens cheered, including Lucius and Severus.

"Was starting to wonder where you've gotten to." James grinned.

"_**There **_**you are! Where have you **_**been**_**? The most **_**ridiculous **_**rumors — someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying **_**car**_**!" **

"What were you thinking, when you didn't see them on the train?" Amelia asked.

"I thought I might have just missed them and they sat on another carriage. I decided that I'd just catch up with them at the feast and when they didn't show up I got really worried." Hermione replied

"Who did you sit with on the train? I hope you didn't sit by yourself and read the whole time." Narcissa frowned.

"Don't worry I didn't read the whole time. I sat with Neville, Susan and Hannah Abbot. I might not have hung out with them as much as I did with Harry and Ron, but they were still good friends of mine." Hermione smiled.

Alice smiled at Hermione's friendship with Neville. She was glad Neville found such a great friend in her.

"**Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her. **

"**You're not telling me you **_**did **_**fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall. **

"Wow. That's hard to achieve." James whistled.

"Really now?" Hermione said her eyes flashing.

James gulped and hid himself behind Lily's shoulder. Hermione just rolled her eyes and signaled for Frank to continue reading.

"**Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password." **

"**It's 'wattlebird,'" said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point —"**

**Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping.**

"You should have finished your lecturing before telling them the password. You won't get a chance to scold them now." Lily advised.

"I know that now but someone had to." Hermione grinned.

**It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive.**

The Marauders cheered as well, not wanting to miss out on the festivities.

"Of course." Minerva groaned. The Gryffindors were known for their parties and it was always her who had to unfortunately close them down at the end of the night.

**Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them. **

"**Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years —" **

"You've got to admit that he's right. It was brilliant if you think about it." Charlus chuckled but gave a loud yelp when his wife pinched his arm with narrowed eyes.

"Now we know where James gets his personality from." Luna snickered to Hermione. Hermione just giggled.

Everyone else just looked on in amusement. James just rolled his eyes too used to his parents' behaviors.

"**Good for you," said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to;**

"That was Katie Bell's older brother Demetrius." Hermione advised.

**someone was patting him on the back as though he'd just won a marathon;**

"Cormac McLaggen." Hermione shuddered. Luna giggled at this.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at this, while everyone else looked confused.

"You'll see." Luna said mysteriously causing everyone to groan. They were all hoping they'd forget about those words.

**Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?" **

"The twins were so jealous they pretended to be angry at Harry for the rest of the week. Saying that they were betrayed and heartbroken that they weren't considered special enough to join in on his adventures. Harry knew they were joking and gave it back as good as they did." Hermione smiled.

James beamed knowing that his son was able to joke around and have some sort of childhood.

**Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once. **

"Percy seems to be a little uptight. I love being a prefect as much as he does but he needs to relax otherwise the younger years won't respect him." Remus shook his head.

"**Got to get upstairs — bit tired," he said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.**

"'**Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's. **

Hermione frowned deeply. She disliked being compared to Percy, she thought her friends respected her enough to not make that comparison. Yes she was scowling but who wouldn't in her position. She was so worried about them and thought they'd seriously injured themselves.

Sirius sensing her frustration wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side in comfort. "You're nothing like Percy, your two completely different people. You know who you are deep down inside; don't let being compared to him bring you down."

Hermione smiled weakly and nodded.

**They managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. They hurried up it, right to the top, and at last reached the door of their old dormitory, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS. **

Lily and the Potters smiled sadly. It was such a pity they were missing out on all the major events of Harry's life. They were all looking forward to changing it this time around so they could watch him grow.

**They entered the familiar, circular room, with its five four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Their trunks had been brought up for them and stood at the ends of their beds. **

**Ron grinned guiltily at Harry. **

"**I know I shouldn't've enjoyed that or anything, but…" **

"_Boys_." Dorea rolled her eyes.

**The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom. **

"_**Unbelievable**_**!" beamed Seamus. **

"**Cool," said Dean. **

"**Amazing," said Neville, awestruck.**

Alice and the Longbottoms smiled at Neville's reappearance once again in the new book.

**Harry couldn't help it. He grinned, too.**

Frank chuckled and handed the book over to Albus. This time, Moody picked up the writing equipment ready to take notes.


	8. Chapter 6 - Gilderoy Lockhart

**A/N: **Hello Hello, all my lovely readers. Thank you for the favourites and follows. I haven't had much time lately and won't know when the next update will be but hopefully soon.

A few people have reviewed/pm'd me regarding the Ron/Molly Weasley bashing and saying they have chosen not to go ahead with reading the books because of it. I understand where you are coming from but this is where my story is headed. At this point in time, Ron doesn't show much substance and his basically an ass (to put it nicely). Like all pre-teens at his age he is a jealous, attention seeking child but his attitude and his treatment towards his 'friends', which irritated me to no end. Not to worry the Ron bashing will ease up eventually when he shows some sort of backbone (mid book 2 and onwards). As for Molly, sorry folks, shes an awesome character and Ms Rowling has done well, she's a lovely woman but I just find her a little overbearing and a bit ridiculous and grates on my nerves, so the bashing shall continue.

In other news; I have given **Marine76** permission to translate Book 1 in to French, so keep a look out if your interested.

As always, enjoy and happy reading! Don't forget to review!

* * *

**CHAPTER 6 - Gilderoy Lockhart**

Albus glanced at the chapter title and chuckled. "**Chapter Six - Gilderoy Lockhart"**

The teens groaned simultaneously.

"Why does this ponce get a whole chapter?" Sirius whined.

"He's the new DADA teacher, you should get used to it now because his going to be there all year round." Remus said in a tone that sounded like he was speaking to a child.

Laughs were shared at Sirius' expense while he sulked.

**The next day, however, Harry barely grinned once.**

"He can't still be blaming himself can he?" James frowned.

"If you haven't realized Potter, your son is a tad pessimistic." Alice rolled her eyes. "Although, can you blame him though?"

James glowered at the book but didn't disagree.

**Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray).**

"I've just noticed the ceiling seems to match Harry's mood through out these books." Luna observed.

"Now that you mention it, you might be right." Hermione pondered that thought.

The others also considered the Luna's theory and also noticed it as well.

**Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of **_**Voyages with Vampires **_**propped open against a milk jug.**

"You're actually reading that drivel?" Remus goaded.

"I was keen to impress him and actually thought he was pretty heroic." Hermione blushed, whilst everyone else guffawed.

**There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived.**

"She's the Moony of the group, the voice of reason. Of course she disapproved." James said fondly.

"I did. Thinking back on it now, I do feel bad for how acted towards them. I had hoped they had some common sense but boys being boys, they never used their brains. I had nothing to say to them and just let them stew a bit." Hermione explained.

**Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had ever met. **

"**Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot." **

"Sorry Nev." Alice said sheepishly making everyone laugh.

"You showed the improvement in your fifth year Miss Prewett. You are just a late bloomer, like your father and I'm sure Neville will be the same." Minerva assured the girl who smiled back.

"She's right. Neville showed the obvious improvement, physically, mentally and emotionally in his fifth year." Hermione smiled.

The Longbottoms and Alice beamed.

**Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head **

"It's always Neville." Luna giggled.

**and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. **

"Errol?" Amelia questioned.

"**Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, Unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak. **

"Molly you didn't!" Alice hissed angrily. "What a hypocrite! She should know better than to send a howler. It's embarrassing and demoralizing. Need I remind her how cruel and unfair children can be? She and the twins experienced it themselves and she always felt humiliated. She said she would never do that to her children, I don't understand what's going on with her." Frank rubbed her back in comfort.

"War changes people. My only conclusion would be, after the loss of her brothers it has caused her to become a different person." Luna summarised.

"Shes become her mother, which she has always told herself that she wouldn't become. Though, I suppose your right but it she's being overbearing and going overboard with the mollycoddling. It also, doesn't explain why she's become so worried about appearances." Alice said disapprovingly.

"**Oh, no —" Ron gasped. **

"**It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger. **

"I don't think he's worried about Errol." Charlus chuckled.

Hermione sulked. "I wasn't to know. I've never heard of howlers before then. I assumed he was worried about the owl."

"**It's not that — it's **_**that**_**." Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode. **

"It will." Sirius unconsciously rubbed his ears.

"**What's the matter?" said Harry. **

"**She's — she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly. **

"**You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" — he gulped —"it was horrible." **

"Why, would I have sent Neville one?" Augusta frowned.

"It was probably from the dragon incident." Henry reminded.

"Oh Neville, I'm sorry." She said apologetically.

**Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope. **

"**What's a Howler?" he said. **

**But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.**

"**Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —" **

**Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears.**

"Smart idea." Regulus said approvingly, rubbing his own hears out of habit. He and Sirius had always thought their mother was a banshee incarnate. The reminder only made his ears tingle.

**A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it **_**had **_**exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling. **

"—**STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —" **

Everyone winced.

**Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls.**

"That sounds about right." Hermione whispered to Luna who nodded.

"Impressive. She'd give mother a run for her money." Sirius commented, making everyone laugh.

**People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.**

"—**LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —" **

**Harry had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. He tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrums throb. **

"Did she have to drag Harry in to it? She can humiliate her own son for all I care, don't drag ours in to it." Lily growled.

"—**ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME." **

"Laying it on thick isn't she?" Amelia said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for the kid. Molly Prewett's temper was horrid when she was at school; imagine now that she is older with 7 children." Lucius shuddered.

**A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again. **

**Hermione closed **_**Voyages with Vampires **_**and looked down at the top of Ron's head. **

"**Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you —" **

"Not the time Mia." James sighed.

"I know." She said guiltily.

"**Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron. **

**Harry pushed his porridge away. His insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for him over the summer… **

Lily sighed sadly.

**But he had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry took his and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first. **

Alice smiled a little at that, she always loved Herbology.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing: Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again. **

All the teens laughed at their new friends' typical behavior, while the elders chuckled in amusement.

**As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. **

All the teens groaned.

**Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings. **

"That's a something I definitely want to see." Remus smirked. He really hated that tree and what it stood for.

**Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint.**

This made Lily grin evilly making those beside her nervous.

**Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping**** robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming. **

"Pretty boy." Regulus coughed, making all the teens snicker.

Albus' eyes twinkled contemplating robes in turquoise. Minerva sensing his train of thought rolled her eyes.

"**Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is!**

"I don't think anyone would think that, Professor Sprout was his teacher after all." Amelia rolled her eyes.

**I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…" **

"**Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self. **

"I wouldn't blame her." Narcissa grimaced.

**There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before — greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. **

Alice leaned forward eagerly making Frank chuckle.

**Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. He was about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out. **

Everyone glared at the book.

"Get your hands off my son." James growled darkly.

"**Harry! I've been wanting a word — you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?" **

**Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face. **

"That wasn't very nice of him; Professor Sprout is a lovely woman." Luna said coldly.

"**Harry," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Harry, Harry, Harry." **

**Completely nonplussed, Harry said nothing. **

"**When I heard — well, of course, it was all my fault. Could have kicked myself." **

"What is he on about now?" Sirius asked.

**Harry had no idea what he was talking about. **

Some of the readers smiled at the similar train of thought.

"I must say, great minds think alike." Sirius said boldly. Hermione rolled her eyes and knocked the wind out of him, with a cushion. Sirius rubbed his chest sulking.

Everyone else looked on in amusement.

**He was about to say so when Lockhart went on, "Don't know when I've been more shocked. Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you'd done it. Stood out a mile. Harry, Harry, **_**Harry**_**." **

Sirius snorted.

**It was remarkable how he could show every one of those brilliant teeth even when he wasn't talking. **

"5 galleons say he stands in front of a mirror and practices." Remus smirked.

"Darling, no one here is stupid enough to take that bet." Amelia quipped making everyone laugh.

"Peter would if he was here." He pouted.

Luna and Hermione shifted awkwardly in their seats. Narcissa and the elders did not miss this action, making them frown.

"**Gave you a taste for publicity, didn't I?" said Lockhart. "Gave you the **_**bug**_**. You got onto the front page of the paper with me and you couldn't wait to do it again." **

"Does he honestly believe Harry likes his fame?" Lily said with narrowed eyes.

"He does and his not the only one." Luna replied but glanced at Severus subtly, who looked down guiltily.

"**Oh, no, Professor, see —" **

"**Harry, Harry, Harry," said Lockhart, reaching out and grasping his shoulder. **

"Why is he repeating Harry's name like that?" Frank questioned.

"It's probably because he likes the sound of his own voice." Regulus scoffed.

"**I **_**understand**_**. Natural to want a bit more once you've had that first taste — and I blame myself for giving you that, because it was bound to go to your head — but see here, young man, you can't start **_**flying cars **_**to try and get yourself noticed. **

Some of the teens sneered. "Git" was muttered by more than a few occupants.

**Just calm down, all right? Plenty of time for all that when you're older. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking! 'It's all right for him, he's an internationally famous wizard already!' But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you are now. **

"Did he just call Harry a nobody?" Lucius said in disbelief. "Harry would have been more famous and known without even trying."

**In fact, I'd say I was even more of a nobody! I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they? All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" **

Sirius scoffed. "Just a few people? He's thicker than we thought."

No one disagreed with him.

**He glanced at the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. "I know, I know — it's not quite as good as winning **_**Witch Weekly**_**'s Most Charming Smile Award five times in a row, as I have — but it's a **_**start**_**, Harry, it's a **_**start**_**." **

"How does winning Witch Weekly's Charming Smile Award compare to defeating the Dark Lord?" Regulus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't try and decipher the mind of Gilderoy Lockhart, it will only make your IQ levels deplete." Severus replied making everyone laugh.

Lily smiled; this was the Severus she knew.

**He gave Harry a hearty wink and strode off. Harry stood stunned for a few seconds, then, remembering he was supposed to be in the greenhouse, he opened the door and slid inside. **

**Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry had taken his place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" **

"I bet my lovely sister knows." James teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

**To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air. **

"See." He smirked.

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him, while the others laughed in amusement.

"**Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state." **

"Mia you shouldn't quote the text books word for word. Your Professors prefer that you say express it in your own words, so we know that you learnt from the texts and understand it." Minerva explained.

Hermione flushed but nodded in understanding. She knew she was a bit of a swot back then and took the advice on.

"**Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?" **

**Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again. **

Hermione coloured brightly as everyone laughed at her expense once again.

"And that's the reason why you shouldn't sit next to people who like to answer questions, when you wear glasses." James glared pointedly at his girlfriend and Remus who grinned sheepishly.

"**The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly. **

"**Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."**

"Great! You get to see every stage of Mandrake development. It's very mesmerising stuff." Alice said excitedly.

Frank chuckled at his girlfriend's enthusiasm, Hermione and Luna smiled at the similarities between Alice and Neville.

**She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake. **

"**Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout. **

**There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. **

"You should pick the pink ones; they are the ones that are less worn so they would protect the ears and be much more comfortable." Alice advised.

"**When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are **_**completely **_**covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right — earmuffs **_**on**_**." **

**Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard. **

**Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear. **

"I gasped as well; I didn't expect them to look like they did." Hermione giggled.

Those who were also startled by the sight of the mandrake seedlings also nodded.

**Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. **

"I love his descriptions." Henry chuckled.

**Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs. **

"**As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia.**

"Once you upgrade to the more advanced and volatile plants, it definitely does seem like nothing. Although, they may be ugly and difficult to re-pot, they're very useful." Alice explained.

"**However, they **_**will **_**knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up. **

"**Four to a tray — there is a large supply of pots here — compost in the sacks over there — and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething." **

James rubbed his shoulder and glared at Sirius who grinned sheepishly. "If you want to blame someone blame Pete. He was the one, who knocked in to me; which caused you to tumble in to the Venemous Tentacula vines."

**She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder. **

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Harry knew by sight but had never spoken to. **

"**Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry by the hand. **

"He seems nice." Lily smiled.

"He must be muggleborn, the name doesn't sound familiar." Frank observed.

"**Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter… And you're Hermione Granger — always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too)**

"Do I sense a potential boyfriend or does someone have a crush on my lovely twin?" James wondered aloud.

"Shut it." Hermione hissed cheeks colouring.

"If rumour has it, he did in fourth year. Actually a lot of the boys at Hogwarts that year did." Luna giggled, causing all the teen boys to catcall and whistle.

Hermione turned crimson.

Luna continued, "Unfortunately for Mia, after the war Justin and Anthony Goldstein finally came out of the closet and are very besotted with each other."

"Aww... Tough luck Mia, you missed out. I guess you're going to have to try harder to turn him." James winked.

"Lily would you mind?"

"Not at all." Lily giggled and whacked James with a cushion causing him to fall off his seat. He got up grumbling about evil sisters and spousal abuse, while everyone laughed at him.

"— **and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?" **

"I don't think he'd appreciate the reminder." Amelia winced.

**Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind. **

"She was a bit harsh wasn't she? I'm definitely going to have to watch her more closely." Alice sighed.

"Don't beat yourself up over it Allie, sometime some people aren't worth changing and you have just got to let them be." Amelia advised.

The elders and the Lily agreed with Amelia's advice.

"**That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and — zap — just **_**fantastic**_**. **

"Okay, the world has definitely gone barmy if Lockhart achieved that. You can't just zap a werewolf away. From what I remember Lockhart was afraid of moths, I highly doubt he'd have the nerve to go near a werewolf." Narcissa commented.

"I remember that, it was our first year. Gideon and Fabien pushed him in to one of the broom closets because they were sick of his primping and strutting. It just so happens the students were exiting the great hall after dinner and came upon the site of him running around like a headless chook, squealing about moths in his hair. At first we thought it was one of the female students from the squealing, he eventually turned around and we saw it was him." Sirius explained to the time travelers, making all the teens laugh at the reminder.

"**My name was down for Eton, you know. **

"Eton?" Lucius asked.

"A boarding school for boys, founded by King Henry VI in 1441." Lily explained.

Everyone looked at her incredulously.

"What? I studied King Henry VI in primary school, it was for history class."

**I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family…" **

"My parents felt the same at first. After Professor McGonagall explained the benefits of being a witch was they were okay with it." Hermione smiled at her Professor, who smiled back.

**After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't.**

"Never is." James muttered, Herbology was definitely not one of his favorite subjects.

**The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; **

"Couldn't we just put a few drops of calming or sleeping draught on the soil before we pull them out? It would be so much easier if they were docile." Hermione wondered.

"Never really thought about that, I might have to try it one day and let you know." Alice pondered the possibilities as well.

**Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot. **

"I love the fat ones. They're so cute and chubby!" Alice squealed clapping her hands.

Everyone looked at her strangely. Albus chuckled quietly and continued to read.

**By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration. **

**Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer. **

"That is why we give you holiday work to do. We had hoped that the students would spread it out enough over the holidays to keep track of what they have learnt." Minerva advised.

"No matter how much work you give them Minerva; you should know most teenagers aren't going to care enough." Dorea chuckled.

"I could only hope, can't I?"

**He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand. **

"Come on son, it's easy." James grinned.

"For you it might not be, but us mortal beings aren't as gifted at you." Amelia rolled her eyes.

"The tip is to use a simple freezing charm if the beetles become a little fussy. It shouldn't change the properties of the charm." James advised.

**Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. **

All the Marauders got mischievous grins on their faces making everyone worried for their safety.

**Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one.**

"Minnie won't be impressed." Sirius commented. He grinned when said professor narrowed her eyes at him.

**Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased. **

The elders chuckled at their predictable friend/colleague.

**Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell.**

At the word Lunch, Valentina aroused from her nap and gave a little yawn. All the females cooed at the adorable 'O' that her mouth formed. Hermione rolled her eyes at the cooing and waved her wand to cover herself and began to feed.

Albus chuckled at Hermione's attitude and continued to read.

**His brain felt like a wrung sponge. Everyone filed out of the classroom except him and Ron, who was whacking his wand furiously on the desk. **

"That's not going to make it any better. Hadn't he learnt from whacking his wand on the dashboard of the car?" Lily scowled.

"**Stupid — useless — thing —" **

"**Write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker. **

"**Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag. **

Moody shook his head. "The boy needs his wand replacing; Molly needs to swallow her pride. He isn't getting anything done with a damaged wand."

"'_**It's your own fault your wand got snapped — **_**'" **

Alice and the elders frowned at that.

**They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration. **

"Is there anything you can't do?" Lucius chuckled.

"Err… I can't highland dance; do a back-flip; lick my elbow or fly a broomstick?" Hermione quipped, as everyone laughed.

"We're going to fix that." James said confidently making everyone roll their eyes.

"Honestly, Ron needs to get over it; the world doesn't revolve around him. He doesn't seem much of a friend if he can't even put aside his bitterness for one moment." Regulus sighed.

"I'm not fussed anymore, my social skills weren't the best back then and it was wrong of me to gloat." She said guiltily. "As you all know I never really had many friends and back then I just wanted someone else other than the teachers and my parents to acknowledge me. Ron's a great friend and I love him but we all have our moments, I suppose."

Sirius eyes flashed slightly and he felt an odd pain in his chest, when she said the word _'love'_. Sirius had hoped he had a slight chance when this was all over, but how can he compete with so years of friendship? They've known each other a few days and he was starting to feel something for the girl beside him. Unbeknownst to him, his fellow Marauders, Regulus and Narcissa noticed his conflicted emotions.

"**What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.**

"Poor Harry, he always got stuck playing the peace maker." Luna said airily.

Hermione blushed when the others chuckled.

"**Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once. **

Everyone groaned.

"_**Why**_**," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?" **

All the teens erupted out in laughter, even the elders chuckled. Hermione's face was as red as a tomato, as she tried to bury her face in Valentina's blanket.

"You didn't?" Frank chortled.

"She did." Luna giggled.

"Mimi, your taste in men is appalling. Your gay boyfriend won't be too pleased." James laughed. "Do I need to play the big brother card?" He said with a mock anger with hands on his hips.

"I'm sure Justin will survive." She rolled her eyes as she burped Valentina. "But the day I let you play the big brother card, is the day Sirius becomes the next Princess of Monaco." She quipped.

Sirius was laughing loudly along with the others then realized his masculinity was at tested. "HEY! That's an insult to my manhood." He sulked.

"Aww... poor baby; does his majesty need to borrow Valentina's pacifier?" She cooed in a baby voice, shoving a conjured pacifier in his mouth.

The whole room was in stitches. It was a few moments before everyone calmed down enough so Albus could read.

**Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously. **

Everyone chuckled again at her expense, even Valentina gurgled at her.

Hermione pouted at her daughter "Your mean't to be on mummy's side!

"It just goes to show she has better taste in men." Regulus joked, grabbed his niece and the toy dragon to entertain her, while everyone else continued to laugh.

**They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in **_**Voyages with Vampires **_**again. Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes **

James nodded approvingly, while Lily rolled her eyes.

**before Harry became aware that he was being closely watched.**

"Constant Vigilance!" Moody growled loudly making everyone jump. Minerva, Augusta and Dorea scowled at him.

**Looking up, he saw the very small, mousy-haired boy he'd seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night staring at Harry as though transfixed.**

"Colin." Hermione and Luna whispered, making everyone turn to them worriedly.

"What is the matter, sweethearts?" Augusta asked worriedly.

"Colin, although a little strange at first was a good friend of ours. Unfortunately, he was ones who died fighting at the final battle." Luna said whispered with tears gathering in her eyes.

Severus and Sirius sighed and wrapped their arms around their girls.

"Oh sweethearts, I'm sorry girls; my condolences. It is most upsetting when someone so young and innocent had fallen at the hands of a sadist." Dorea said sadly.

After the explanation everyone became sad and sombre at the reminder of lives lost because of a psychotic megalomaniac.

**He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red. **

"**All right, Harry? I'm — I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think — would it be all right if — can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully. **

"Harry's not going to like that." Remus winced.

"**A picture?" Harry repeated blankly. **

"**So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. **

"That's kind of creepy but sweet at the same time." Amelia said joked, trying to clear the tension.

Luna and Hermione giggled through their tears.

"**I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline) "and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures'll **_**move**_**." **

"No offence girls; but it looks like Harry has his first stalker." Alice cooed gaining more laughs.

"Colin's harmless. He means well but I didn't think he realized he was becoming a little creepy. He does settle down after a while, I think he was just a little star struck." Hermione smiled fondly.

"He kind of reminds me of Mia on her first train ride to Hogwarts. Talking really fast and jibber jabbering about nonsense." Sirius teased, gaining him an elbow to the ribs as everyone laughed.

**Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said, "It's **_**amazing **_**here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. **

"That's the second Muggleborn mentioned." Sirius said with narrowed eyes.

"I noticed that as well, this chapter is focusing heavily on Muggleborns. I thought it was just a coincidence." Lucius commented.

"I've noticed that too. We'll have to pay more attention to anymore mentions, just in case." Frank added, as he wrote down their findings.

Moody grunted in approval. "Well done you three. It seems the introductions of the Muggleborns, are foreshadowing the events involving the Chamber of Secrets. We should pay close attention, every single detail is important."

**My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you" — he looked imploringly at Harry — "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?" **

"This isn't going to end well." Frank chuckled.

"You're right. People like Lockhart are going to think he wants to be in the spotlight again." Lily sighed.

"_**Signed photos? **_**You're giving out **_**signed photos**_**, Potter?" **

"Three guesses who." Narcissa mumbled.

**Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard. **

"Why must he draw attention to himself?" Lucius said disapprovingly.

"Draco liked being the centre of attention; he was used being fawn for and when Harry came along, he felt inadequate. He felt needed to bring himself up a notch by being rude and obnoxious and putting others down. I think belittling Harry, was a coping mechanism for him." Luna replied.

Lucius and Narcissa nodded and made note to watch Draco's actions in future.

**He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. **

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Lucius you really need to get rid of those two baboons, they will only bring you down and cause more problems. It looks like their sons are they're exact clones and following in their footsteps."

Lucius hesitated a little and nodded. "You are right; they aren't the sharpest quills in the box. I just feel sorry for them because they won't cope on their own."

"**Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!" **

All the teens scowled.

"**No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy." **

"**You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck. **

"That's true. Colin small for his age but next to Crabbe he was tiny." Hermione explained.

"_**Jealous**_**?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."**

"Someone's in denial. Keep telling yourself that, whatever helps you sleep at night." Regulus shook his head.

"Can someone just punch this kid already? No harm meant against you Lucius or Cissa but I'm sick of listening to him talk." James grumbled.

Hermione who was taking a sip of water choked.

Luna giggled while smacking her back. "Ask and you shall receive."

"What's that mean?" Lily asked confusedly.

"Third book." Hermione gasped still red faced from choking.

**Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly. **

"**Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way. **

"**Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "**_**'If you put another toe out of line'**_**—" **

Everyone scowled.

"And that's why a parent shouldn't send a howler. It will only embarrass and cause more insecurity in the children." Alice growled.

**A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this. **

"I see manners and respect isn't a thing of the future." Dorea said darkly.

"**Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house —" **

**Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, **

"Not good. He's wand doesn't work at the best of times, it could backfire on him." Charlus commented.

Hermione and Luna snickered too themselves. Gaining confused looks they just grinned mysteriously, the others were used to this by now and didn't want to know.

**but Hermione shut **_**Voyages with Vampires **_**with a snap and whispered, "Look out!" **

"Why what's wrong?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Nothing dangerous." Hermione assured.

"Let me guess… the peacock?" Amelia guessed.

"Ding Ding Ding… 10 points to Ravenclaw." Luna replied, making everyone groan.

"Can't catch a break can you? But then again, this chapter is named after him." Henry said sympathetically.

"**What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. **

"I don't know, maybe they're dancing the can-can? What do you think it is?" Severus sneered, making the teens laugh.

"**Who's giving out signed photos?" **

"Of course he had to catch that." Frank shook his head.

**Harry started to speak but he was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around his shoulders and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!" **

**Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Harry saw Malfoy slide smirking back into the crowd. **

"**Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll **_**both **_**sign it for you." **

Everyone glared at the book, surprisingly even Moody did.

**Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signaling the start of afternoon classes. **

"And suddenly that picture just lost its worth." Alice quipped, making everyone laugh.

"**Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Harry, who was wishing he knew a good Vanishing Spell, still clasped to his side.**

"**A word to the wise, Harry," said Lockhart paternally as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey — if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much…" **

"Git" muttered Remus.

"You're bloody kidding me right? The only one setting himself up too much, is him." James bit out. It was a sign that everyone was gobsmacked and in disbelief that no one reprimanded James for his swearing.

**Deaf to Harry's stammers, Lockhart swept him down a corridor lined with staring students and up a staircase. **

"**Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible — looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but" — he gave a little chortle — "I don't think you're quite there yet."**

All the teens snorted.

"You right, his definitely gotten thicker over the years. Harry's a hell of a lot more famous then Lockhart is. He stubbed his toe in public; he'd probably make the front page." Narcissa scowled.

**They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Harry go at last. Harry yanked his robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him, so that he could avoid looking at the real thing. **

"The pictures on the back of the book are just as bad. Primping and posing, don't know why Harry bothered." Luna commented, making everyone laugh at Lockhart's vainness.

**The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of Harry. **

"**You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club." **

"There was a Harry Potter fan club. Ginny was the president of course." Luna whispered quietly, as if Ginny or Harry would hear.

Everyone laughed.

"What are you laughing at? You have fan clubs as well." Amelia said pointedly at the Marauders, causing them to stop laughing while everyone else laughed harder.

"**Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Harry Potter fan club" **

There were snickers once again.

"Poor Harry." Lily giggled.

**When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of **_**Travels with Trolls**_**, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front. **

"**Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of **_**Witch Weekly**_**'s Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by **_**smiling **_**at her!" He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly. **

"Honestly, what does a Witch Weekly award have anything to do with DADA? And an order of Merlin? Who in their right mind would give him an order of Merlin?" Lucius asked appalled.

"Cornelius Fudge?" Regulus snorted.

"Mia, Harry, Ron, Neville received Orders of Merlin, First Class, whereas myself and a few others got Second Class, for defeating Voldemort." Luna said dreamily.

"Awesome! Can we see them?" Sirius asked in awe.

"Sure." They both said as they pulled out their medals out of their satchel bags, to pass around. Each medal was pentagon shaped with an engraved image of Merlin; '_Order of Merlin'_ engraved across the top of each medal; a curved banner going across the bottom with _'First/Second Class'_ (gold for First Class, Silver for Second Class, Bronze for Third Class).

"Well done girls." Moody said proudly.

"Thank you, Sir." They both said simultaneously, beaming.

Albus twinkled before continuing to read.

"**I see you've all bought a complete set of my books — well done.**

"It's not like they had a choice. It was on the booklist you dunderhead." Severus sneered.

"Probably took the job just so he can boost his book sales." Remus growled.

**I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about — just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in —" **

**When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes — start —**_**now**_**!" **

**Harry looked down at his paper and read: **

_**1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? **_

"_What?"_ was a question going through everyone's mind.

_**2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition? **_

"You've got to be joking right?" Narcissa said in shock.

_**3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? **_

"I suppose that is a legitimate question, but I have a feeling you won't be learning much this year. I pity the next teacher." Remus said shaking his head.

Luna and Hermione giggled.

"What's so funny?" Lily questioned with a confused expression.

"It's just the Professor the following year, is someone you least suspect." Hermione grinned.

"Who is it?"

"You'll just have to see." Luna smiled mysteriously.

Everyone groaned.

"I don't like youse anymore. I thought torture was illegal!" Sirius whined, gaining a giggle from Valentina, while everyone else rolled their eyes at him.

**On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to: **

_**54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be? **_

"Three sides of parchment? How many questions can you ask about yourself? Someone is a tad self-obsessed and I thought Lucius was bad." Regulus exclaimed.

"Hey!" Lucius scowled as everyone laughed. "You're just jealous of my sexy hair." He said flicking his hair over his shoulder, making everyone laugh.

"Pfft, you wish Lucy." Regulus retorted, flicking his own hair.

Narcissa giggled and kissed Lucius on the cheek.

**Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class. **

"**Tut, tut — hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. **

"No self-respecting man likes lilac!" Sirius yelled.

Albus cleared his throat.

"Whoops, other than yourself professor." He said sheepishly, noticing the headmasters lilac robes, making everyone laugh.

**I say so in **_**Year with the Yeti**_**. And a few of you need to read **_**Wanderings with Werewolves **_**more carefully — I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples — though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdens Old Firewhisky!"**

"Honestly! This has nothing to do with the subject!" Minerva exclaimed. "Albus, you can't be serious. This is beyond ridiculous!" She couldn't hold back anymore at the ridiculous self-publicising, he was supposed to teach them on how to defence themselves against what is out in the real world.

"I must have my reasons Minerva, I have a feeling they will be revealed by the end of the book." Albus replied.

**He gave them another roguish wink. Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face; **

"You're not the only one." Remus mumbled.

**Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name. **

Everyone tried to stifle their laughter while Hermione mock glared them with coloured cheeks.

Sirius chuckled and gave her waist a squeeze; making them both blush crimson, forgetting he and Severus still had their arms wrapped around _'their girls'._

"… **but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions **

This caused all the males (minus Moody) to erupt out in laughter.

"I'm sorry, but that is just wrong." Frank gasped between laughs.

— **good girl! In fact" — he flipped her paper over — "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?" **

**Hermione raised a trembling hand. **

James was about to open his mouth and say something when he was silenced by his mother with a glare, making all the teens snicker at him.

"**Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so — to business —" **

**He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it. **

"**Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm." **

**In spite of himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat. **

"**I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them." **

Despite the fact that all the readers did not agree with Lockhart's teaching methods, they too leaned forward, curious as to what Lockhart had installed for the class.

**As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover. **

"**Yes," he said dramatically. **_**"Freshly caught Cornish pixies." **_

Everyone burst out laughing, including Moody this time around.

"Cornish Pixies? They aren't dangerous, tricky and annoying pests but certainly not life threatening." Henry chuckled. "Although, you did mention he was afraid of moths."

The Marauders grinned sheepishly, whilst Minerva glared at them.

"What did you do?" Dorea said with narrowed eyes.

"The boys thought it would be interesting to release Cornish Pixies in Professors Slughorns office. It gave him quite a surprise, when he opened up his door to have his lunch thrown in his face." Albus explained, causing everyone to snicker but the elder females.

"Boys, when will you ever learn." Dorea sighed, knowing it was useless reprimanding them.

"Sorry Mum/Mama P/Mrs Potter."

**Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror. **

"**Yes?" He smiled at Seamus. **

"**Well, they're not — they're not very —**_**dangerous**_**, are they?" Seamus choked. **

"As long as you're capable with freezing charms, you should be okay." Charlus chuckled.

"**Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. **

"Prat." Sirius mumbled.

"**Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" **

**The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them. **

"**Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage. **

"IDIOT!" All the males yelled, while the females groaned.

**It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. **

Alice and Augusta gasped.

"Not again." Frank groaned. "Why is it always Neville?"

**Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass.**

Everyone winced.

**The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling. **

"No one was seriously injured were they?" Minerva asked worriedly, she had grown fond of Neville and really did pity the accident prone boy.

"All was fine, no one was seriously injured, and just a few scratches that Madam Pomfrey fixed up in a jiffy." Hermione assured.

"**Come on now — round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. **

"If they're only pixies, why aren't you rounding them up?" Amelia hissed. "They can't have known, it's the first time most of them have they've dealt with uncaged pixies."

**He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "**_**Peskipiksi Pesternomi!**_**"**

"That's not a spell!" Moody growled.

**It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way. **

"Oh no! Was he okay?" Alice asked worriedly.

"He was fine, just a bruised coccyx, because he fell on his bottom." Hermione smiled.

**The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him. **

"WHAT!" Everyone yelled.

"He left three second years alone, with Pixies?" Augusta practically screeched.

"Yes ma'am." Hermione cringed (along with all the teens); Augusta glared darkly in Albus' direction, she did not want to be him at this point in time.

"**Can you **_**believe **_**him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear. **

"**He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage. **

"You can't be serious Mia?" Remus groaned.

"No he is." Luna said airily pointing in Sirius' direction, making everyone laugh.

"That's my joke." Sirius pouted.

"_**Hands on**_**? "said Harry, who was trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing —" **

"**Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books — look at all those amazing things he's done —"**

"Yeah, says that he's done." Lucius sighed.

"**He **_**says **_**he's done," Ron muttered.**

Lucius raised an eyebrow at that making everyone laugh.

"How did you not see this Mia? The guy is a moron." James groaned.

"Come on! I was 12 going on 13, it was a girly crush. Everyone at that age had a crush on some sort of celebrity. Look at Ginny." She pouted, as they all laughed at her expense.

"Well I hope your next boy toy, had some sort of brains."

Hermione scowled and threw a cushion that smacked him in the face making everyone laugh.

Albus chuckled and passed the book over to Moody to read the next chapter.


	9. Chapter 7 - Mudbloods and Murmurs

**A/N: **Hello hello, my lovely readers. Sorry for the infrequent updates. RL is getting the best of me and not giving me enough time to do anything much really. Thank you for the lovely reviews/favourites/follows. I will reply to your messages when I do get some down time, please don't think that I don't appreciate them.

Just a little note: **Marine76** has started translating (to French) "M.A.D. - Book 1" on this site and ** fr . **If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

Also, I am not sure when my next update will be. I will try and post as soon as I can. As always, Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 7 - Mudbloods and Murmurs**

Moody read the chapter title and growled angrily. "**Chapter Seven - Mudbloods and Murmurs**"

Everyone's faces darkened, the teen Slytherins, however; shifted in their seats awkwardly. Severus tensed noticeably hearing the word 'M' word. Lily, who saw his change in body language, gave him a smile; as if telling him _'All is forgiven'_. Severus smiled back weakly. During this time, Luna subtly tried to grab Hermione's hand to stop her from rubbing that certain spot on her arm, which did not go unnoticed by Sirius; who frowned in confusion but said nothing.

"I don't like the chapter already." Dorea said darkly.

"What a way to ruin the mood." Amelia mumbled to her boyfriend

"No kidding." Remus replied.

**Harry spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor.**

"I don't blame him." Frank mumbled.

**Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule. Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Harry?" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Harry sounded when he said it. **

Some of the members of the room snickered while, Luna and Hermione smiled fondly.

**Hedwig was still angry with Harry about the disastrous car journey **

"Aww…" Alice cooed. "She's acting like a real person."

"I don't blame her; I'd be upset with him too, if I was her." Amelia smiled fondly.

**and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck.**

All the teens winced.

"Maybe he too should swallow his pride and ask for a new wand. Yes, she would have yelled and carried on but at least it he would have been able to perform magic." Alice commented.

"I'm sure Bill or Charlie, would have been able to get him one if he was desperate. They would do anything for their siblings but Ron wouldn't want to burden them with such things and doesn't want to anger Molly by asking." Luna replied.

Alice sighed, her family was falling apart and she couldn't do anything yet.

**So with one thing and another, Harry was quite glad to reach the weekend.**

Sirius nodded in agreement. "I would be too if I had a week like that." Sirius muttered.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You would have been glad it was the weekend, whether you had a bad week or not."

"Of course, unlike you, Moony, we normal beings can't always have our brains switched on. We need a break to use our brain power, for more engaging activities." He said wriggling his eyebrows, making everyone laugh while the elders looked on in amusement.

Narcissa and Regulus however shuddered. "Honestly Siri, we don't want to know what you get up to with your flavour of the week. We don't want nightmares." Narcissa said looking a little green.

"Well you can't stop perfection. The ladies just love me." He quipped, doing a body roll making everyone laugh harder.

Dorea shook her head at her relatives and signalled to Moody to continue reading, before it got out of hand.

**He, Ron, and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning.**

"That would have been nice start to the weekend." Lily smiled approvingly.

"Don't get your hopes up Lils. This is Harry we're talking about, with Potter's genetic make up, nothing goes according to plan." Alice said to best friend, making everyone laugh.

"Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine today? I thought you loved me Allie, you wound me with your insults." James said mock fainting on Lily.

Lily sighed in annoyance at the antics of her friend and boyfriend.

**Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. **

"**Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily. **

"Very eloquent." Charlus chuckled.

"**Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!" **

"QUIDDITCH!" All the Quidditch fanatics yelled.

**Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that he was awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making. **

"That's a bit early for practice isn't it." Lily asked.

"Never." The previous/current Quidditch captains (Minerva, Charlus, Henry, Lucius, Frank, James and Regulus) replied as one.

Lily rolled her eyes, while the others chuckled in amusement.

"**Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn." **

"I told you." Alice smirked, making everyone laugh.

"**Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. "It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year —" **

"He's nuts!" Lily said wide eyed. "Even James isn't that crazy."

"Oi!"

Hermione and Luna snorted.

"You've seen nothing yet." Luna grinned evilly. "Mia should know."

"Why?" Narcissa asked, for those who were confused.

"Thanks a lot Luna, wait til one of yours is brought up." Hermione scowled at her friend who winked at her, much to the amusement of the others.

"Since Mia doesn't want to answer, I will." Luna smirked. "Our friend Ollie here and Mia, had a thing before he graduated."

"The boys didn't know about because there was nothing to tell." Hermione interrupted, still scowling.

"It was a bit of flirting and a few secluded corners from what I'm told." Luna continued, wriggling her eyebrows, making the others laugh. Hermione whacked her with a cushion at this point. "They liked each other well enough but nothing serious happened between the two. Quidditch was his first priority and first love, while school and books was hers."

"That's a pity, they could have had cute, brainy, bushy haired, Quidditch crazy babies." Alice teased making everyone laugh and the marauders to whistle and catcall.

"We're still really good friends. He's engaged to Katie Bell now, a much better match for him in my opinion. Only she could handle his first love Quidditch." Hermione rolled her eyes, making everyone laugh. "He plays for Puddlemere United and she's due to play for the Tutshill Tornados, after she has her twins." She smiled.

"Good for them. They sound like two perfectly good players and I'm not surprised, they've gone professional." Minerva said proud of her lion cubs.

**Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes. **

"**Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes." **

Those who weren't as crazy as the Quidditch fanatics snickered in amusement.

**When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone **

"That was nice of him." Remus commented. "Unlike his father, I had to guess where he and Sirius had disappeared to half the time."

"Oi!"

Everyone laughed at the antics of the Marauders.

**and went down the spiral staircase to the common room, his Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder.**

"Best broom ever!" Sirius cheered.

**He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.**

"**I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you —"**

**Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose. **

Everyone chuckled some more at this.

"This kid is nuts! It's the crack of dawn; no one in their right mind would be up unless it's for Quidditch." Severus muttered to Luna who giggled.

**A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm Harry recognized as his own. He was pleased to see that his photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view. As Harry watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, Panting, against the white edge of the picture.**

"Weak. Even photo Lockhart is useless." Lucius chuckled.

"At least we know even picture Harry isn't conforming either." Sirius smirked.

"**Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly. **

"**No," said Harry flatly, glancing around to check that the room was really deserted. "Sorry, Colin, I'm in a hurry — Quidditch practice —" **

"Good. He's got his priorities in the right place." James said seriously, to everyone's amusement. Lily groaned and shook her head.

**He climbed through the portrait hole. **

"**Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!" **

"It's only practice, he won't be missing anything." Henry chuckled.

**Colin scrambled through the hole after him. **

"Come on! Colin you're awesome and all that but give him a break." Sirius whined.

"**It'll be really boring," Harry said quickly, **

"LIES!" James gasped and fainted to the floor, making Valentina giggle at him, while everyone rolled their eyes.

**but Colin ignored him, his face shining with excitement. **

"**You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? Weren't you?"**

"YEP!" James said proudly, getting back to his seat.

**said Colin, trotting alongside him. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?" **

**Harry didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having an extremely talkative shadow. **

Once again, the Marauders looked at each other and grinned, making everyone nervous.

"**I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?" **

"**Yes," said Harry heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch.**

"It's not that complicated." Charlus mumbled. Dorea smiled fondly and kissed him on the cheek.

James to the amusement of the others gagged. "Do you have to do that in front of me?" he whined.

"Oh be quiet James, you don't see us complaining when you and Lily make kissy faces." Amelia rolled her eyes, making Lily blush like a tomato.

"You and Moony aren't that much better either." He threw back, making Remus splutter in embarrassment.

Moody cleared his throat to continue reading before any more interruptions occurred.

"**They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters." **

"**And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Harry. **

"Creepy…" Alice sang, making Luna and Hermione giggle.

"Are we sure Colin, wasn't gay? He's getting a bit stalker-ish for my taste." Alice asked with a raised eyebrow, this made everyone splutter or cough, while Frank face palmed.

"ALICE! You don't ask if someone is gay." Lily scolded.

"I don't think so?" Hermione thought to herself looking to Luna.

Luna shrugged. "He could have been but I think he was dating Hannah's cousin for a little while. I'm not too sure, to be honest."

"**Well, the Quaffle — that's the biggish red one — is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch — they're three long poles with hoops on the end." **

"**And the fourth ball —" **

"— **is the Golden Snitch," said Harry, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points." **

"That's always the best part of the game." Regulus smirked. Valentina gurgled from his lap, as if she too was in agreement, making everyone chuckle.

"**And **_**you're **_**the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe. **

"**Yes," said Harry as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really." **

**But Colin didn't stop questioning Harry all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Harry only shook him off when he reached the changing rooms; Colin called after him in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" and hurried off to the stands. **

"He's much too happy for my taste. How can anyway be so perky at that time of morning?" Amelia asked appalled.

**The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake.**

This made everyone chuckle, especially Hermione.

"When it comes to Quidditch, Oliver is on a naturally high, he's very dedicated to the sport. When we first started seeing each other, whenever he tried to describe something he used Quidditch terms because that was how he understood things. After a while I started wondering about his sanity but knew it was just part of who he was and made me laugh." She said making everyone laugh.

**Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and touslehaired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them. **

"**There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…" **

"Sounds a bit like Prongs." Sirius snickered.

"Oi! What's with people picking on me today?" James whined.

"It's because you're an idiot. Now shut up so I can hear about my son." Lily growled, making him sit up straight an pout quietly.

**Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and he began to snore. **

**The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on.**

"Okay, I must admit. That's a bit excessive." Henry chuckled.

"**So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. "Is that clear? Any questions?" **

"Knowing the twins they'll definitely have some questions." Frank laughed.

"**I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?" **

"We ask Prongs that question all the time." Sirius glared his best friend who just smirked.

**Wood wasn't pleased. **

"He definitely wouldn't have been." Charlus laughed along with the others.

"**Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. **

The Gryffindors cheered, much to everyone's annoyance.

**But unfortunately — owing to circumstances beyond our control —" **

"He can't honestly be upset that, Harry was in hospital could he?" Lily almost growled.

"He does care for Harry, they're really great friends, Ollie just has a bit of foot in mouth disease. He was just disappointed that they couldn't break the losing streak they've had since Charlie Weasley left." Hermione explained.

Lily nodded in understanding.

**Harry shifted guiltily in his seat. He had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that Gryffindor had been a player short and had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.**

"It's not your fault, boy. If you want to blame anyone, blame Voldemort." Moody growled.

Everyone nodded.

**Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him. **

"It must have been pretty bad." Frank grimaced.

"It _was_." Hermione sighed. "60-280 in favour of Ravenclaw. Oliver had no choice but to choose one of the best flyers from when he held the chaser trials at the beginning of the year."

Everyone winced.

"I still don't understand why they didn't have a reserve seeker. Wood should have known better." Regulus frowned.

"**So this year, we train harder than ever before… Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed. **

"As much as I love Ollie, I don't think the team remembered anything from that conversation."

Hermione giggled.

Sirius scowled at the word _'love'_ again. He wasn't innocent himself and had lots of girls in the past but he was hoping she still wouldn't be so emotionally invested in her ex. Narcissa noticed this and rolled her eyes, she made note to have a talk to him later tonight.

**They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Harry walked onto the field, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting in the stands. **

"**Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously. **

"**Haven't even started," said Harry, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade Ron and Hermione had brought out of the Great Hall.**

Hermione winced. "We thought he would have been done by now. We brought it out for him but by the time they left the locker room, the toast had gone cold."

"**Wood's been teaching us new moves." **

**He mounted his broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped his face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George. **

James and Sirius grinned.

"We do that too, it's good for warming up but that's usually after a few stretches, then a three lap run around the pitch, to get the blood pumping." Sirius explained.

"**What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner. **

**Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium. **

"**Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly. **

"**Who's that?" said Fred. **

"**No idea," Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took him as far away as possible from Colin. **

There were laughs around the room.

"**What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program." **

Regulus rolled his eyes. "I don't encourage spying but I can't speak for the future Slytherins."

"You might be the only honest player on your team, but I've caught a few of your team members, spying a couple of times." Frank replied.

Regulus growled. "I'll make sure they don't in future."

"**He's in Gryffindor," said Harry quickly. **

"**And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George. **

"Lucius, why is your eye twitching?" Luna asked airily, as everyone turned to look at him.

"I have a bad feeling about this practice session, it twitches when I know something is going to go wrong." He replied, rubbing his left eye.

Everyone frowned.

"**What makes you say that?" said Wood testily. **

"**Because they're here in person," said George, pointing. **

"This isn't going to end well." Henry sighed.

**Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.**

"**I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!" **

**Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Harry, Fred, and George followed. **

"**Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" **

**Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." **

"Yes Oliver booked the field and Flint overstepped his boundaries but he's right. There is enough room to practice, if they keep to their own side. If they can get on well enough, it would benefit both sides if the practice against actual opponents rather than doing drills." Regulus commented.

"If you have supervised practices for those sessions, I don't see a problem. As long as there is two teachers there, from non-playing teams." Minerva said thoughtfully, while scribbling away.

"I'd be happy to trial it with the Gryffs, if James is up to it. I don't think we should stick the Slytherins with anyone as yet, no offence guys." Frank suggested, the Slytherins just waved him off knowing the risks.

Minerva nodded and scribbled that down on her parchment.

**Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man. **

"That's disgusting, they aren't objects. They should be ashamed of themselves." Dorea hissed angrily. "I hope you boys have more respect, for women."

All the boys nodded. They didn't want to be on the other end of the infamous Black temper.

"**But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!" **

"He sounds like he's chucking a tantrum." Amelia giggled.

"I'm sure if it was manly enough, Oliver would have stamped his foot." Hermione giggled.

"**Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. **_**'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'. **_**" **

James and Sirius glared at Severus angrily.

Severus put his hands up in surrender. "That doesn't sound like something I'd write but then again, my book self is an ass."

"A new seeker?" Frank frowned. "Mum, wasn't Uncle Emmett's grandson the Slytherin Seeker the previous year?"

"He was." Augusta replied, confusedly.

"I think I know what has happened." Lucius sighed. "I apologise in advance, Mrs Longbottom."

Augusta smiled assuringly and let Moody continue reading.

"**You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?" **

**And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy. **

Everyone groaned.

"**Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike. **

"**Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team." **

"Lucius, I hope you didn't do what I think you did." Narcissa growled in realisation.

"I'm not sure Cissa but knowing our book selves, I'm sure I did."

**All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words **_**Nimbus Two Thousand and One **_**gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun. **

"You bribed his way on the team?" Regulus growled at Lucius. "That's low, even for you."

"I'm already kicking myself for it Reg, no need to make me feel worse." Lucius scowled.

"**Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" — he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives —" sweeps the board with them." **

Everyone scowled.

**None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits. **

"**Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion." **

**Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.**

Hermione tensed slightly, knowing what was to come.

"Not good." James said worriedly.

"**What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's **_**he **_**doing here?" **

**He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. **

"Isn't it obvious?" James' jaw clenched.

"**I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team. **

**Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.**

"**Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." **

"That's not true, Cleansweeps are still decent brooms. They might not be as fast as the Nimbus family but they excel in balance, which benefits a Keeper or Beater." Luna argued.

Everyone turned towards Luna in shock.

"How do you know so much about brooms? You don't seem like the Quidditch type." Sirius asked in awe.

"Oh, I love Quidditch, but I'm not the playing type. Brooms, however, fascinate me and I was made commentator when Lee Jordan graduated." She said airily.

All the males (other than Moody) looked at her in awe, while the Henry beamed proudly at his daughter. The females meanwhile, were snickering in to their hands.

Moody rolled his eyes and continued to read.

**The Slytherin team howled with laughter. **

"Hilarious." Regulus sneered.

"**At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to **_**buy **_**their way in," said Hermione sharply. "**_**They **_**got in on pure talent." **

"You tell him Mia!" James cheered.

**The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered. **

Moody who read ahead growled angrily as he read the next line.

"**No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat. **

It was an instant uproar. The females gasped or screeched in outrage. People were muttering under their breaths. Regulus was pacing up and down angrily, swearing in three different languages. Severus blanched and Narcissa actually fell off her seat in shock. Dorea's eyes darkened in anger. Charlus and Albus were glaring at the books angrily. Lucius was in shock. Remus had taken Valentina from Regulus and was trying to calm down Valentina who was startled by the loud noise, although his eyes were cold and angry.

Hermione meanwhile, was clutching her arm and rocking in her seat, whilst her body shook. Luna had her arms wrapped around Hermione, while whispering in her ear, trying to calm her down.

Shortly people stopped their actions and noticed Hermione's body language. The Potters, Narcissa, Lucius and Sirius moved towards her (the others stood back, not wanting to overwhelm her). James instantly pulled his sister on to his lap and tried to calm her down.

"Mia, I need you to calm down sweetheart." Dorea whispered. "Take a deep breath, come on breathe darling." She turned to Luna. "What's going on? Why is she acting like this? Why is she clutching her arm like that?"

"_I-I-I,_ can't tell you." Luna sobbed. "She needs to tell you in her own time." She closed her eyes, as a tear dripped down her cheek. Severus who was still seated beside her pulled her to his side in comfort.

Alice sensing the shaking wasn't stopping any time soon, quickly ran to the kitchen to grab a calming draught and handed it to Dorea who administered the potion. Hermione's body finally stopped shaking but her breathing was short and shallow. Narcissa tried to pull the hand that was clutched tightly to her arm, in to her grasp. "Mia, its Cissa. Come on, I need you to you to come back to me. Look in to my eyes. Come on."

After hearing Narcissa's voice, Hermione snapped out of her frozen state and looked in to Narcissa's eyes. She then saw the worried looks of the people around her. She turned her head and sobbed softly in to James' chest, who started humming a tune in her ear to keep her calm. It was a few moments before she quietened and hiccupped in to his chest and settled. "I think she's asleep." He whispered.

"I think it's best if you stay there and let her rest. She's emotionally and physically exhausted." Dorea whispered, sadly. "Everyone head back to your seats and we'll continue the reading. She'll tell us, when she's ready."

No one wanted to disagree with her and quickly headed back to their seats, while James remained in his seat between Sirius and Luna. Valentina had finally settled down and was sitting in Remus' lap playing with her dragon, not realising her mother had broken down. Moody picked up the book and continued reading,

**Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad **

"That's an understatement." Narcissa gritted out. "If that boy was here, he won't be able to sit on his bottom until I'm old and grey."

**because there was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, **_**"How dare you!" **_**and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoys face. **

**A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass. **

It was a sign that everyone was still upset with Draco that no one wanted to speak.

Everyone groaned.

"**Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione. **

**Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap. **

All the males erupted out in laughter, while the females looked positively ill, at the thought of belching slugs. Amelia, who couldn't stand slugs, actually ran to the closest bathroom, to become sick. Remus handed Valentina over to Lily and was about to follow her, when Luna got up instead.

"I'll go check on her, you all continue reading." Luna said softly as she followed Amelia to the bathroom. Remus smiled at her in thankfully, nodded and took Valentina back.

**The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.**

"Lucius, as much as I want to annihilate, your son right now. I don't blame him; it'd be a sight to see." Sirius chuckled quietly, not wanting to wake Hermione.

Lucius nodded in understanding.

**The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him. **

"I wouldn't want to touch him either." Alice wrinkled her nose.

"**We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry to Hermione, who nodded bravely, and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms. **

"Good idea." Charlus said approvingly.

"**What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?" Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front. **

"**Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Harry?" **

Everyone laughed at that.

"Not the time Colin." Henry chuckled.

"**Get out of the way, Colin!" said Harry angrily. He and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest. **

"**Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute — almost there —" **

**They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out. **

Everyone's faces wrinkled in disgust at the 'mauve' coloured robes.

"Hide!" Lily yelled.

"**Quick, behind here," Harry hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly. **

Sirius, James and Charlus chuckled fondly, at the sleeping time traveller.

"**It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one — I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle. **

"Good riddance." Amelia commented as she walked back in to the common room, with Luna trailing behind her, causing everyone to laugh.

Remus smiled and shifted Valentina to one arm, as he pulled Amelia to his side once she was seated beside him.

**Harry waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently. **

**Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was. **

Everyone chuckled.

"He was probably expecting the peacock again." Narcissa laughed.

"**Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me — come in, come in — thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again —" **

**Harry and Hermione supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair. **

"**Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron." **

Dorea who was a trained Medi-witch nodded approvingly.

"**I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand —" **

Everyone nodded this time, some wincing at the reminder.

**Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. His boarhound, Fang, was slobbering over Harry. **

"Awww." Luna and Alice cooed, making the others snicker.

"**What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Harry asked, scratching Fang's ears.**

"**Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle." **

"I'm glad to know that Hagrid doesn't believe that fraud either." Frank chuckled.

**It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher, and Harry looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job —" **

"He might have been the only one for the job." Charlus chuckled. Albus nodded in agreement nodding with a sigh.

"**He was the **_**on'y **_**man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin. "An' I mean the **_**on'y **_**one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed.**

"Starting?" James said with a raised eyebrow, with his arms were still wrapped around his sister. "We haven't had a defence teacher, who lasted over a year since I started at Hogwarts."

"Hagrid's right though. The job must be jinxed if they haven't lasted more than one term." Lily commented.

"Is it true headmaster?" Frank asked.

"I believe he may be right as well. I have a theory, but if it is not revealed in these books, I will let you know." He replied.

**No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?" **

"**Malfoy called Hermione something — it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild." **

"**It **_**was **_**bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the tabletop looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her 'Mudblood,' Hagrid —" **

Everyone scowled/growled at the reminder.

James glanced worriedly, at the small figure that was his sister, in his arms. What had caused her breakdown?

**Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made their appearance. Hagrid looked outraged. **

"As he should be." Lucius agreed. Scolding himself for failing as a parent.

"**He didn'!" he growled at Hermione. **

"**He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course —" **

"That's an understatement." Severus muttered.

"**It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gasped Ron, coming back up. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born — you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards — like Malfoy's family — who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."**

"I don't think that way anymore." Lucius whispered. "I just hope Mia, forgives me for my book self's actions. It's my fault Draco's turned out this way." He said guilty.

"She forgave you and Draco a long time ago Lucius. You have nothing to be guilty of." Luna whispered. "She's reacted this way because of something else. She'll tell you all when she is ready."

Lucius nodded in understanding, as everyone gave him reassuring smiles.

**He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. **

Amelia's nose wrinkled in disgust.

**He threw it into the basin and continued, "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom — he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."**

The Longbottoms and Alice scowled at that comment.

"Neville just lacks confidence. He's quite an accomplished wizard. Don't listen to Ron." Luna assured them.

"**An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta. **

"Hagrid's right you know." Albus confirmed. "I haven't seen anyone so talented and able to use magic so freely, in a very long time."

The Potters beamed proudly.

"**It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping his sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out." **

"Mr Weasley is correct." Albus sighed. "I've noticed that there has been a high amount of squib births over the last two centuries. If we didn't marry outside our blood lines, we'd die out. Families are inter-marrying and becoming incestuous because they want to be so pure of blood. They don't realise it's unnatural and only cause the infants to become squibs or some sort of disfigurement when they are born."

**He retched and ducked out of sight again. **

Remus quickly conjured a bucket, seeing Amelia's expression change. Amelia took a deep breath and patted he's leg to let him know she was okay.

"**Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble." **

"True, the old Lucius would have caused a ruckus." Regulus sighed.

"Thank goodness, for that. I'd have to listen to the bitching and moaning. I already have to deal with these so called _'dunderheads'_, the last thing I want is to deal with Lucius." Severus sighed dramatically.

Everyone laughed when Lucius scowled and threw two cushions, one at Regulus and the other at Severus, knocking them both out of their seats.

"Not bad, you would have made a fair beater." Henry commented, making them laugh harder.

**Harry would have pointed out that trouble didn't come much worse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth, but he couldn't; Hagrid's treacle fudge had cemented his jaws together. **

"The kid must have been hungry; if he ate Hagrid's cooking willingly. He should learnt by now." Amelia snickered.

"**Harry," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?" **

"He can't be serious." Lily gasped.

"Relax Lils, his only kidding." Alice assured the fretting mother.

**Furious, Harry wrenched his teeth apart. **

"**I have **_**not **_**been giving out signed photos," he said hotly. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around —" **

**But then he saw that Hagrid was laughing. **

Everyone laughed at Hagrid's humour.

"**I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Harry genially on the back and sending him face first into the table.**

Charlus chuckled with a fond smile. "He doesn't know his strength sometimes."

"**I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'." **

"Lockart probably didn't like that." James grinned.

"**Bet he didn't like that," said Harry, sitting up and rubbing his chin. **

Everyone snickered at the similarities.

"**Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron reappeared. **

"**No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it." **

Everyone nodded in approvingly.

"**Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as Harry and Hermione finished the last of their tea. **

**In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins Harry had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder. **

"**Gettin' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast… should be big enough by then." **

"**What've you been feeding them?" said Harry. **

**Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.**

"Subtle." Remus rolled his eyes making everyone laugh.

"**Well, I've bin givin' them — you know — a bit o' help —" **

"An Engorgement charm?" Dorea said disapprovingly.

**Harry noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin. Harry had had reason to believe before now that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, he had the strong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it.**

"I wouldn't have guessed that, with the way he clutches his umbrella." Henry chuckled.

**Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, but Harry had never found out why — any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject was changed.**

"**An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" said Hermione, halfway between disapproval and amusement. "Well, you've done a good job on them." **

Everyone laughed at the similarities, between mother and daughter.

"**That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron. "Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Harry, his beard twitching. "Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." He winked at Harry. "If yeh ask me, **_**she **_**wouldn' say no ter a signed —" **

Once again everyone snickered at Hagrid's humour.

Even, Moody let out a bark of laughter.

"**Oh, shut up," said Harry. Ron snorted with laughter and the ground was sprayed with slugs. **

"**Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his precious pumpkins. **

"Yeah Ron, not on he's Pumpkins." Alice laughed.

**It was nearly lunchtime and as Harry had only had one bit of treacle fudge since dawn, he was keen to go back to school to eat.**

Everyone scowled at Harry's eating habits.

"He really should eat a nutritional balanced diet. He's going to make himself sick." Dorea said worriedly.

"Harry's normally quite good, when his with us. He just tends to get distracted by everyday life." Luna assured her Godmother.

**They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs. **

**They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter — Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening." **

"**What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp. **

"Charming." Minerva wrinkled her nose.

"_**You **_**will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley — elbow grease."**

"That's not too bad. I've had worse." Sirius grinned.

**Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school. **

"He doesn't sound like a pleasant person at all. I hope that you are seeing to his replacement Albus." Augusta said crisply, sending a glare towards Albus.

"He doesn't have anyone but me Augusta, it's complicated." He replied.

"Why can't he work with your brother? It might be much more suited to him." Dorea suggested. "He's a cruel bitter man Albus, he thinks about torturing children for pleasure." She shook her head.

Albus thought about it and nodded. "I'll speak to Aberforth."

"**And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall. **

"Professor! I thought torture wasn't allowed as a punishment." Frank objected, making all the teens laugh, while the elders chuckled in amusement.

"**Oh n — Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Harry desperately. **

"**Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly.  
**

"Poor kid." Alice shook her head. "Doesn't sound like you had much of a choice Professor."

"You might be right." she said in agreement.

**Eight o'clock sharp, both of you." **

**Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a **_**well-you-did-break-school-rules **_**sort of expression.**

Everyone couldn't help but be amused by her actions.

**Harry didn't enjoy his shepherd's pie as much as he'd thought. Both he and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal. **

"You did." Lily mumbled. "Stupid, arrogant toe-rag." She muttered under her breath.

"**Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning." **

"It's easy. He's just being lazy." Everyone turned towards the voice. It was Hermione, slowly rousing out of her sleep. She was laying on something warm and hard and gazed in to the eyes of her 'brother'. "Hi," she blushed as she tried to get up, off his lap.

"Easy there Mia, don't get up too fast." Dorea said motherly. James shifted sideways so she could squeeze in between himself and Sirius.

Hermione looked at the worried faces around the room, and then frowned. "What happened?"

"You kind of broke down; you were shaking and rocking back and forth." James muttered beside her.

Hermione blanched and looked at Luna. "It's okay, I didn't tell them anything. I said you'd tell them when you were ready." She answered her unasked question.

"Apologies, for worry you all. I'm feeling fine now." She said timidly as Sirius and James wrapped their arms around her.

"Just know that we're here for you Mia, just say the word." Narcissa said worriedly

Hermione nodded in thanks and curled up against her brother.

Moody took it as a queue to continue reading.

"**I'd swap anytime," said Harry hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fan mail… he'll be a nightmare…"**

There were growls at the reminder at Harry's home life.

**Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and Harry was dragging his feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. He gritted his teeth and knocked. **

**The door flew open at once. Lockhart beamed down at him. **

"Someone's a bit eager. Was he like standing right next to the door or something?" Frank asked.

"**Ah, here's the scalawag!" **

"Scalawag?" Remus snorted. "What is he? A pirate?"

"No, he's trying to be cool, and get with the times."

**he said. "Come in, Harry, come in —"**

**Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart.**

"Seriously?" Lily said incredulously. "Can anyone else be so self-obsessed?"

"I don't know. I think James, could give him a run for his money."

"DADDDDDDDDD!" James whined. "You're meant to be on my side." Everyone laughed at his expense.

**He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lay on his desk.**

"Honestly!" Augusta exclaimed.

"**You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Harry, as though this was a huge treat. **

A couple of people snorted.

"**This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her — huge fan of mine —"**

**The minutes snailed by. Harry let Lockhart's voice wash over him, occasionally saying, "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah."**

"Good idea." Lucius said approvingly. "He won't even notice, he just likes the sound of his own voice."

**Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that." **

"What is he on about? He doesn't make any sense!" Hermione scowled. "I can't believe I admired this ass."

"Don't try and make sense of an idiot Mia. You'll just be wasting your time." Narcissa shrugged.

**The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching him. Harry moved his aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. **_**It must be nearly time to leave**_**, Harry thought miserably, **_**please let it be nearly time… **_

"We know how that feels." Sirius sighed, making everyone laugh.

**And then he heard something — something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.**

Both Hermione and Luna tensed, knowing what was to come. The boys beside them glanced at them worryingly.

**It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom. **

Everyone sat up in alarm.

"_**Come… come to me… Let me rip you.. .Let me tear you.. .Let me kill you…" **_

Eyes widen in panic. "What?" Everyone shouted.

What's happening?" Lily asked fearfully.

**Harry gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street. **

"I'm sorry, but did that just say lilac?" Lucius' nose wrinkled in disgust, while the others snickered.

"_**What**_**?" he said loudly. **

"**I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!" **

"This guys an idiot! He's absolutely clueless!" Frank exclaimed.

"**No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!" **

"**Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?" **

"The one plotting someone's death! Does he love the sound of his own voice that much he doesn't pay attention to anything else?" Severus sneered.

"**That — that voice that said — didn't you hear it?" **

**Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment. **

Moody frowned. "He didn't hear it?"

Everyone's eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"**What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott — look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours!**

"WHAT! It was midnight?" Augusta screeched.

**I'd never have believed it — the time's flown, hasn't it?" **

**Harry didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling him he mustn't expect a treat like this every time he got detention.**

"He thought detention with him, was a treat?" Amelia asked appalled.

**Feeling dazed, Harry left. **

**It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. Harry went straight up to the dormitory. Ron wasn't back yet. Harry pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and waited. Half an hour later, Ron arrived, nursing his right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room. **

"**My muscles have all seized up," he groaned, sinking on his bed. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for Services to the School. Took ages to get the slime off… **

Everyone winced.

"Bad luck." Regulus snickered.

**How was it with Lockhart?" **

**Keeping his voice low so as not to wake Neville, Dean, and Seamus, Harry told Ron exactly what he had heard. **

"**And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" said Ron. Harry could see him frowning in the moonlight. "D'you think he was lying? But I don't get it — even someone invisible would've had to open the door." **

"Being invisible doesn't make you silent or able to pass through walls, does it Prongs?" Remus commented. Everyone snickered at the reminder of James' stupidity. Said Marauder pouted, while all laughed at his expense.

"**I know," said Harry, lying back in his four-poster and staring at the canopy above him. "I don't get it either."**

"That was the end of that chapter." Moody growled as he closed the book.

"Well that was an interesting chapter." Dorea said trying to clear the air. "How about we have some dinner and get a few more chapters in and turn in early."

Everyone nodded and starting heading towards the dining room. The Marauders, Frank and Severus stayed behind with Hermione and Luna.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" James asked worried.

"I'm fine." Hermione replied. "It's just hard going through these books; it's bringing up old memories."

"It's tough on the all of us but none more so than for you and Luna. You both have been through a lot but you should know that we're all family now. We'll all be here for you when you're ready." Frank said sympathetically.

"We know it will take us time. Mia, Valentina and I have been on our own for a while now, its hard letting others in." Luna said whispered.

"Well enough of this sappy stuff." Sirius said shuffling awkwardly in his spot.

"GROUO HUG!" yelled the Marauders.

Everyone laughed pulled the girls in to the middle of them for a very awkward and strange human pile. Valentina was gurgling and giggling from the middle in Remus' arms. Even Severus looked like he was enjoying himself.

Hermione smiled softly and retrieved her baby from Remus. "I better get this little monster settled. Thanks again guys, you go on right ahead." The boys nodded and followed Luna as they headed for the dining room. James stayed behind with Hermione as she got Valentina ready for a feed and to get to know his sister better.


	10. Chapter 8 - The Deathday Party

**A/N: **Thanks everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed me and my story. Sorry for the slow updates but RL has been crazy. I was able to find the time to write up this next chapter. I can't promise when the next one is up but I will try and upload soon.

As always, Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 8 ****- ****The Deathday Party**

While everyone else was in the dining room having dinner, James and Hermione were getting to know each other better. Valentina was laid in her rocker gurgling and giggling whilst playing with her toys. James occupied his time by asking questions about Harry and basically what her life was like before she showed up in 1977. While, she asked about he's life as a Marauder and what type of parents Dorea and Charlus were.

As per usual, Juno had made sure everyone's bellies were satisfied by making pizzas of various toppings and garlic and herb bread for dinner and gelato for dessert. Juno had popped in and delivered some food and refreshments for the siblings in the common room. Once everyone was fed and watered, they eventually moved towards the main room for the next installment (James had also moved back to his seat beside Lily).

Minerva picked up the book and turned to the next chapter and read, **"Chapter Eight – The Deathday Party."**

"What's a death day?" Lily asked confusedly.

"It's basically the opposite of a birthday. It is a day where a ghost celebrates his/her day of death." Augusta explained.

"Oh, that sounds interesting already." Amelia sat up straight, eager to listen. Remus chuckled at his girlfriend in amusement.

**October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy.**

Luna blanched. _That must have been one of the symptoms, of Ginny's possession;_ she thought to herself.

**The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.**

"That's what Lily-Flower looks like." James said offhandedly.

_Whack! _Much to the amusement of the others, James was suddenly bared incoherent by a certain someone _(three guesses who *snicker*)_.

**Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud. **

"He needs to get cleaned up before he gets sick or Filch catches him." Remus commented.

"Oliver was determined to win that year. I think he forgets that his human sometimes." Hermione snickered.

**Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team, had seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles.**

All the Quidditch fanatics winced.

"The broom doesn't make the player. Just because they have faster brooms, doesn't mean they know how to use it to its full potential. Besides, the Lions have a much stronger team, whereas, the snakes are all brawn over skill." Luna said, trying to abate their worries.

**As Harry squelched along the deserted corridor he came across somebody who looked just as preoccupied as he was. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower, was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, "… don't fulfill their requirements… half an inch, if that…" **

All the Gryffindor's shook their head with fond smiles.

"I can't believe Nick's still trying to get on the Headless Hunt." Sirius sighed.

"You'd think, the rejection letters he gets every year, would sink in by now." Lily added.

"He's been doing that since I was at school." Albus advised. "I don't think he's going to ever change."

"Poor Nick." Amelia said sympathetically. "He's always willing to lend a helping hand when you need it, even to us Non-Gryffindor's. He's one of the nicest ghosts in the school."

"**Hello, Nick," said Harry. **

"**Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed. He was pale as smoke, and Harry could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside. **

"**You look troubled, young Potter," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet. **

"How can they get letters?" James frowned.

"It is an ancient spell that allows ghosts and corporal beings, to produce letters. It is not known to the living, because it is a kept secret." Charlus explained.

James nodded in understanding.

"**So do you," said Harry. **

"That's nice of him. Not many think about the feelings of the ghosts, like that." Lily smiled proudly.

"**Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance… It's not as though I really wanted to join… Thought I'd apply, but apparently I 'don't fulfill requirements' —" **

**In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face. **

"**But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"**

A few people cringed at the thought of that happening to them.

"**Oh — yes," said Harry, who was obviously supposed to agree. **

"**I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However—**

" **Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously: **

" '_**We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.' " **_

**Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away. **

"**Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore."**

"As much as I love Nick, this Delany-Podmore fellow does have a point. He's head is still attached, even if it's only a few inches of skin." Remus chuckled.

**Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So — what's bothering you? Anything I can do?" **

"**No," said Harry. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly—" **

**The rest of Harry's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near his ankles.**

"Shit!" James swore, while others groaned in frustration.

"JAMES CHARLUS POTTER! Watch your mouth." Dorea screeched.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, while the others snickered.

**He looked down and found himself gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students. **

"**You'd better get out of here, Harry," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood — he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five.**

"Accidently." The Marauders snorted.

**He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place —" **

"**Right," said Harry, backing away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris, but not quickly enough. Drawn to the spot by the mysterious power that seemed to connect him with his foul cat, Argus Filch burst suddenly through a tapestry to Harry's right, wheezing and looking wildly about for the rule-breaker. There was a thick tartan scarf bound around his head, and his nose was unusually purple. **

"Hot." Alice said sarcastically, wrinkling her nose, while the others snickered.

"He should have gone to the school nurse, she would have fixed him up in a jiffy." Dorea tutted.

"**Filth!" he shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. "Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potter!" **

All the teens winced, while the elder females hissed angrily.

**So Harry waved a gloomy good-bye to Nearly Headless Nick and followed Filch back downstairs, doubling the number of muddy footprints on the floor. Harry had never been inside Filch's office before;**

"I'm offended!" James gasped, looking crushed. "We were there by our third week."

Lily growled, smacking him with a cushion. "Thank goodness he isn't like you. That's not something you should be proud of."

**it was a place most students avoided. The room was dingy and windowless, lit by a single oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling. A faint smell of fried fish lingered about the place. Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves.**

"ME TOO!" James said proudly.

Lily groaned.

"There's no use dear, he's father and I haven't been able to set him straight since he was able to walk and talk." Dorea sighed, while the others snickered.

**A highly polished collection of chains and manacles hung on the wall behind Filch's desk. It was common knowledge that he was always begging Dumbledore to let him suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling. **

The elder females glared at Albus, who shifted uneasily in his seat.

"This will be sorted, don't you worry."

**Filch grabbed a quill from a pot on his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment. **

"**Dung," he muttered furiously, "great sizzling dragon bogies… frog brains… rat intestines… I've had enough of it… make an example… where's the form… yes…" **

**He retrieved a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer and stretched it out in front of him, dipping his long black quill into the ink pot. **

"_**Name**_**… Harry Potter. **_**Crime**_**…" **

"**It was only a bit of mud!" said Harry. **

All the teens winced.

"Not good. That would only have made it worse." Frank sighed.

"**It's only a bit of mud to you, boy, but to me it's an extra hour scrubbing!" shouted Filch,**

"He's the caretaker, that's his job to clean!" Augusta hissed angrily.

**a drip shivering unpleasantly at the end of his bulbous nose.**

"Ew." The females (include the elders) muttered.

"_**Crime**_**… befouling the castle… **_**suggested sentence**_**…" **

The Teens snorted.

**Dabbing at his streaming nose, Filch squinted unpleasantly at Harry who waited with bated breath for his sentence to fall. **

**But as Filch lowered his quill, there was a great BANG! on the ceiling of the office, which made the oil lamp rattle. **

"PEEVES!" All the teens cheered.

"He's saved!" Regulus grinned. "He's battle against Peeves, is more important than any detention or punishment, in his books."

"**PEEVES!" Filch roared, flinging down his quill in a transport of rage. "I'll have you this time, I'll have you!" **

**And without a backward glance at Harry, Filch ran flat-footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him. **

"Run!" The teens cried, as the elders looked on in amusement.

**Peeves was the school poltergeist, a grinning, airborne menace who lived to cause havoc and distress. Harry didn't much like Peeves, but couldn't help feeling grateful for his timing. **

"You're not the only one." Sirius muttered.

**Hopefully, whatever Peeves had done (and it sounded as though he'd wrecked something very big this time) would distract Filch from Harry. **

**Thinking that he should probably wait for Filch to come back, Harry sank into a moth-eaten chair next to the desk.**

All the teens groaned or face palmed.

"Why does he have to be so noble? He needs to get out of there." James whined, as everyone rolled their eyes at him.

**There was only one thing on it apart from his half-completed form: a large, glossy, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front. With a quick glance at the door to check that Filch wasn't on his way back, Harry picked up the envelope and read:**

"Of course," Lily sighed.

_**Kwikspell **_

_**A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic. **_

**Intrigued, Harry flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said: **

_**Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wandwork? **_

_**There is an answer! **_

_**Kwikspell is an all-new, fail-safe, quick-result, easy-learn course. Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method! **_

"Does that even work?" Amelia asked.

"It's fake." Henry explained. "It's just a con to get people like Mr Filch, to pour all their money in to this ridiculous scheme."

"That's cruel." Lily growled. "Those poor unsuspecting people, they don't know any better."

_**Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes: **_

"_**I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the center of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!" **_

_**Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says:**_

"_**My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!" **_

Henry and Charlus chuckled, while their wives glared at them.

**Fascinated, Harry thumbed through the rest of the envelope's contents. Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn't a proper wizard?**

"Oh no, I've just remembered. Harry doesn't know what squibs are. This won't be good." Alice winced.

Once again, there were groans.

**Harry was just reading **_**Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips) **_**when shuffling footsteps outside told him Filch was coming back. Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope, Harry threw it back onto the desk just as the door opened. **

**Filch was looking triumphant. **

"**That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!" **

Luna and Hermione eyes went wide at the mention of the cabinet.

'_That's twice in one book'_. Hermione thought to herself.

Frank caught the look on the girls' faces and wrote a note for future reference.

**he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris. "We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet —" **

**His eyes fell on Harry and then darted to the Kwikspell envelope, which, Harry realized too late, was lying two feet away from where it had started. **

"A rookie mistake." Charlus chuckled and then winced when Dorea elbowed him in the ribs. James couldn't help but snicker.

**Filch's pasty face went brick red. Harry braced himself for a tidal wave of fury. Filch hobbled across to his desk, snatched up the envelope, and threw it into a drawer. **

"**Have you — did you read —?" he sputtered. **

"**No," Harry lied quickly.**

"Too quick." Henry chuckled.

"Harry's always been a terrible liar." Luna giggled.

**Filch's knobbly hands were twisting together. **

"**If I thought you'd read my private —not that it's mine — for a friend — be that as it may — however —" **

**Harry was staring at him, alarmed; Filch had never looked madder. His eyes were popping, a tic was going in one of his pouchy cheeks, and the tartan scarf didn't help. **

"**Very well — go — and don't breathe a word — not that — however, if you didn't read — go now, I have to write up Peeves' report — go —" **

"He's embarrassed, that's what the look was. He's going to let Harry go, because he wants this kept a secret." Frank observed.

"Still, that's a great achievement. He got out of detention with Filch. That's never happened before!" Alice said in awe.

**Amazed at his luck, Harry sped out of the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs. To escape from Filch's office without punishment was probably some kind of school record. **

"Definitely is." Regulus agreed.

"**Harry! Harry! Did it work?" **

**Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Harry could see the wreckage of a large black-and-gold cabinet that appeared to have been dropped from a great height. **

"**I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office," said Nick eagerly. "Thought it might distract him —" **

"Awesome!" Sirius said amazed. "Nick would never willingly participate in a prank."

"That's because he is a kind and wholesome person. Unlike yourself," Narcissa smirked. Sirius did the mature thing and stuck his tongue out at her.

"**Was that you?" said Harry gratefully. "Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!" **

**They set off up the corridor together. Nearly Headless Nick, Harry noticed, was still holding Sir Patrick's rejection letter… **

Charlus chuckled; he knew where this was going.

"**I wish there was something I could do for you about the Headless Hunt," Harry said. **

Alice, Amelia and Lily cooed.

**Nearly Headless Nick stopped in his tracks and Harry walked right through him. He wished he hadn't; it was like stepping through an icy shower. **

A few people shivered.

"**But there **_**is **_**something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Harry — would I be asking too much — but no, you wouldn't want —" **

"**What is it?" said Harry. **

"**Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing himself up and looking dignified. **

"Ah, that explains the chapter title." Albus chuckled.

"**Oh," said Harry, not sure whether he should look sorry or happy about this. "Right." **

"It's better to be happy." Charlus smiled. "A deathday commemorates the day they died. They have come to accept their deaths and tend to be very proud of it."

"**I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country. It would be such an honor if you would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger would be most welcome, too, of course — but I daresay you'd rather go to the school feast?" He watched Harry on tenterhooks. **

"Although I reckon his guilt tripped it out of harry, it really does fascinating." Amelia commented. "If I had the opportunity, I'd go just for the experience."

"If you do, remember to take a coat and make sure you've eaten beforehand." Henry advised. "They don't serve food for the living and because of the amount of ghosts within the vicinity, you'll be sure to freeze."

Amelia nodded and made note of it. Remus couldn't help but chuckle. He's girlfriend is definitely one of a kind.

"**No," said Harry quickly, "I'll come —" **

"**My dear boy! Harry Potter, at my deathday party! And —" he hesitated, looking excited "— do you think you could possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?" **

Everyone laughed.

"I don't think that's going to work." Albus twinkled, clearly amused.

"**Of — of course," said Harry. **

**Nearly Headless Nick beamed at him. **

"**A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly when Harry had changed at last and joined her and Ron in the common room. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those — it'll be fascinating!" **

"It is, if you can handle to chilliness of the room." Hermione answered herself, much to the amusement of the others.

"**Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me…" **

"Nobody asked you." Alice muttered under her breath.

**Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smoldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people. **

"Cool." Sirius said rubbing his hands eagerly.

**Harry was at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room.**

"Awesome." Sirius said in awe.

"Someone's easily amused." Luna whispered to Hermione, but loud enough the others had heard, gaining laughs and a few chuckles from the elders.

**The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind. **

Hermione smiled at the memory. It was a pretty fascinating sight to see.

**By the time Halloween arrived, Harry was regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, **

"Wicked." James said wistfully. He loved Halloween, it was a pity it will be the day he died.

**and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment. **

Albus twinkled. "The stories get bigger and bigger every year."

"**A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily. "You said you'd go to the deathday party." **

"Hermione Jean Granger, the voice of reason." Luna said in an announcer voice, making everyone laugh.

Hermione scowled and smacked Luna with one of the cushions.

**So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons. **

**The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took.**

"We should have taken coats with us, it was freezing!" Hermione pouted, much to the amusement of the others.

**As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him, he heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard. **

"True, it does sound a bit like that doesn't it?" Henry chuckled.

"**Is that supposed to be **_**music**_**?" Ron whispered. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes. **

"**My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome… so pleased you could come…" **

"He always did like putting on a show." Henry chuckled.

**He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside. **

**It was an incredible sight.**

"It was." Hermione said in agreement.

**The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer. **

"**Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, wanting to warm up his feet. **

"**Careful not to walk through anyone," said Ron nervously, **

"That's pretty good advice, who knew Ron, was the one to say that?" asked Luna, making them all laugh.

**and they set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.**

A few people winced at that.

**Harry wasn't surprised to see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts. **

"**Oh, no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle —" **

All the girls groaned.

"Who?" Severus asked.

"Myrtle Henderson, or as Mia calls her; Moaning Myrtle." Minerva explained. "She was a 3rd year Ravenclaw, who passed away in the girls' lavatory in my 5th year. She now haunts the first floor bathroom, she is known for wailing and moping and very sensitive feelings." _(__**A/N:**__ I couldn't find Myrtle's last name in any of my research, so I've used Shirley Henderson's name.)_

Some of the teens looked a little puzzled at the information, while the elders exchanged a look.

"**Who?" said Harry as they backtracked quickly. **

"**She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," said Hermione. **

"**She haunts a **_**toilet**_**?" **

"**Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you —" **

"That definitely would be awkward." Lucius said sympathetically.

"**Look, food!" said Ron.**

A few people snickered, knowing the food wouldn't be edible.

**On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold **

"That's really gross." Alice wrinkled her nose.

"If you leave soon, hopefully you'll make it in time for the feast." Sirius said cheerfully rubbing his tummy, when it gave a little rumble. Hermione shook her head and dug out a mars bar and handed to him. Sirius whooped excitedly and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to blush and then proceeded to inhale the chocolate bar. Everyone looked on in amusement at the two.

**and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words, **

**SIR NICHOLAS DE MIMSY-PORPINGTON **

**DIED 31ST OCTOBER, 1492 **

**Harry watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon. **

"Can that taste it?" James asked confusedly.

"Not too sure." Charlus wondered.

"**Can you taste it if you walk though it?" Harry asked him. **

There was a pause before people laughed.

"Like father, like son." Remus laughed.

"**Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away. **

"Why bother?" Sirius scoffed. "I'll never become a ghost."

"We know." Everyone said simultaneously, shaking their heads at Sirius' infamous appetite.

"**I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," said Hermione knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis. **

"**Can we move? I feel sick," said Ron. **

"He was right; I could feel my stomach churning." Hermione shuddered at the memory.

**They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them. **

"Peeves." Sirius bounced in his seat excitedly.

"Maybe I shouldn't have given him that chocolate bar." Hermione whispered to Luna, who giggled.

"**Hello, Peeves," said Harry cautiously. **

**Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face. **

"**Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus. **

All the teens grinned, while Hermione, Luna and the elders looked a little ill.

"He's up to something." Sirius sang.

"**No thanks," said Hermione. **

"**Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing. "**_**Rude **_**you was about poor Myrtle."**

All the teens groaned.

**He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OY! MYRTLE!" **

"Not good." Lily moaned.

"**Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her — er, hello, Myrtle." **

"Bad luck." Amelia said sympathetically.

**The squat ghost of a girl had glided over. She had the glummest face Harry had ever seen, half-hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.**

"**What?" she said sulkily. **

"**How are you, Myrtle?" said Hermione in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."**

All the girls winced.

"That's not going to work. Poor Myrtle, didn't appreciate our kindness either when she was alive." Dorea sighed.

**Myrtle sniffed.**

"**Miss Granger was just talking about you —" said Peeves slyly in Myrtle's ear. "Just saying"**

"**Just saying — saying — how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves. **

"I was a horrible liar that day, she caught me off guard." Hermione grimaced.

"I don't know why you tried; there's no point in trying to cheer her up. She wouldn't be happy no matter what you say or did." Narcissa said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Hermione muttered, making Luna giggle.

"What did you do?" Sirius leaned in eagerly.

"Nothing."

"You'll see; it's in this book." Luna replied, sounding positively gleeful, while Hermione scowled.

**Myrtle eyed Hermione suspiciously. **

"**You're making fun of me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes. **

"**No — honestly — didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron painfully in the ribs. **

"**Oh, yeah —" **

"**She did —" **

"That's not convincing at all." Alice said shaking her head.

"**Don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while Peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!" **

"**You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear. **

A few people chuckled at Peeves' humour.

**Moaning Myrtle burst into anguished sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her with moldy peanuts, yelling, "**_**Pimply! Pimply!**_**" **

"**Oh, dear," said Hermione sadly. **

"Don't worry about it. She'll get over it. She would have broken down over something sooner or later." Narcissa assured.

Hermione smiled and nodded.

**Nearly Headless Nick now drifted toward them through the crowd. **

"**Enjoying yourselves?" **

"**Oh, yes," they lied. **

"**Not a bad turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent… It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra…" **

**The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon, fell silent, looking around in excitement, as a hunting horn sounded. **

"**Oh, here we go," said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly. **

"Ah, the Headless Hunt." Henry shook his head. "This won't be good."

**Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's face. **

**The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck. **

"**Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?" **

"Very funny." Sirius said bitterly, feeling defensive of nick.

**He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder. **

"**Welcome, Patrick," said Nick stiffly. **

"**Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter). **

"Hilarious." He said sarcastically.

"**Very amusing," said Nearly Headless Nick darkly. **

"**Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say — look at the fellow —" **

"Git" He sneered.

"**I think," said Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very — frightening and — er —" **

"I see what you mean, about Harry being a horrible liar." Remus chuckled.

"We're going have to teach him to be a better liar." James said.

"You will not!" Lily hissed, whacking him again with a cushion.

"Okay. Okay. Keep your hairnet on." James winced.

Lily growled and whacked him once again, before turning her body the other direction.

"**Ha!" yelled Sir Patrick's head. **

"**Bet he asked you to say that!" **

"**If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight. **

"**My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow…" **

**But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers. **

"That wasn't very nice of him; he totally ruined Nick's party on purpose." Lily growled.

**Harry was very cold by now, not to mention hungry. **

"**I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor. **

"**Let's go," Harry agreed. **

**They backed toward the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles. **

"**Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall.**

**And then Harry heard it. **

"… _**rip**_**… **_**tear**_**… **_**kill**_**…" **

Everyone tensed up at hearing the strange voice. Hermione grabbed hold of both the people beside her (Sirius and Luna) without realising it.

**It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office. **

"Not again." Amelia mumbled, burying her face in Remus' shoulder.

**He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway. **

"**Harry, what're you —?" **

"**It's that voice again — shut up a minute —" **

"… _**soo hungry**_**… **_**for so long**_**…" **

"**Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching him. **

Minerva's voice shook as she read.

"… _**kill**_**… **_**time to kill**_**…" **

"Oh. My. God." Lily muttered, fearfully.

**The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away — moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter? **

"**This way," he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall.**

"Not good. Not good at all." Lilys voice shook, as she grabbed on to James.

**It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind him. **

"**Harry, what're we —" **

"**SHH!" **

**Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: "… **_**I smell blood**_**… **_**I SMELL BLOOD**_**!" **

**His stomach lurched — **

"**It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces, he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps — Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage. **

"**Harry, **_**what **_**was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything…" **

"You couldn't hear the voice either?" Charlus asked in alarm.

"Nope. We didn't know what was going on; he was acting all crazy like. We were basically just following Harry, because we didn't want to let him to follow whatever it was alone. It was really frightening." Hermione replied hoarsely, as Sirius rubbed her shoulders in comfort.

**But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.**

"What now?" Alice groaned.

"_**Look!**_**" **

**Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. **

_**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.**_

_**ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE **_

All the elders became worried at this. The teens looked at them in confusion.

"It's happening again." Dorea said wide-eyed.

Moody growled. "We should have expected it; the girls did say it was about the Chamber. Now we know it has officially been reopened."

"How bad was it?" Amelia asked worriedly.

"Very bad, we were walking around in fear, because people were being petrified." Minerva replied. "It just so happens, Myrtle was the only victim to have been killed.

"There was a rumour that the school was going to be closed if the perpetrator wasn't caught." Charlus explained. "Then one day, we heard Myrtle had died and next thing you know someone was expelled."

"Who was it?" Lucius asked.

"I'm sure it would be revealed in the book. We should continue to read to find out what has happened." Albus replied.

"**What's that thing — hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice. **

**As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped — there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash. **

**Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. **

Everyone gasped.

"You need to get out of there now." Charlus said worriedly. "You can't be seen anywhere near there."

**For a few seconds, they didn't move. **

"Constant Vigilance!" Moody roared, making them all jump. "Don't just stand there!"

**Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here." **

"**Shouldn't we try and help —" Harry began awkwardly. **

"**Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here." **

Dorea gave her daughter a pleading look. Hermione tried not to look in her direction and decided to stare at Valentina sleeping in her rocker.

**But it was too late. **

Everyone groaned.

**A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends. **

**The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight. **

**Then someone shouted through the quiet. **

"**Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" **

**It was Draco Malfoy.**

"Someone punch this kid already." Sirius growled.

**He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.**

Narcissa hissed, while Lucius was trying to rub her arm in comfort.

"Such a pleasant son, you have Luc." Regulus sneered.

"Trust me; you're not the only one thinking that." He replied.

"That was the end of that chapter." Minerva said as she passed the book on to, Henry.


	11. Chapter 9 - The Writing on the Wall

**A/N: **Hello my lovelies! Happy Valentines Day! Thought I'd give you guys the next chapter on this special day. Since it is Valentina's Birthday, roses for everyone! -,'-{ :p

Exciting news for me though, I'll be taking a 3 week holiday at the end of this month. I'll be going to London, Paris and Rome, which I'm quite excited about. I originally planned to go mid January but because loosing my uncle and taking on my younger cousin in to my guardianship in December, I've had to postpone my plans. I will try and update as often as I can before then, otherwise I'd have to wait until I get back.

As always, thank you for the lovely reviews/favourites/follows. People are still commenting on the Ron/Molly bashing. I'm being told that the bashing is uncalled for and really should be stopped. I've said it once and I'll said it again, this is the path my story is going. You have to admit though, this is pretty light compared to what could be said. Until the characters are of substance and working with my story, the _**light **_bashing shall continue. The bashing on Ron will let up eventually, but until then, he just irritates the hell out of me. You've also got to understand, the people from the past do not know them as well as Luna/Hermione do, hence the repeating of information and 'stating the obvious' and background information.

Also, I must apologise for my last chapter, quite a few people are saying there was a few errors. Yes I have noticed this as well and I must admit it was not my best chapter but I was running on on a few hours sleep and was quite distracted. I will try and fix it when I can but it probably won't be until this book is finished.

Don't forget if you can read French, **Marine76** has started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1".If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 9 ****- ****The Writing on the Wall**

Seeing the worried expressions on everyone's faces, Henry hurriedly began the next chapter. _**"Chapter Nine – The Writing on the Wall."**_

"**What's going on here? What's going on?" **

**Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror. **

Everyone winced.

"**My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. **

**And his popping eyes fell on Harry. **

"_**You**_**!" he screeched. "**_**You**_**! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll —" **

"Don't you dare touch my son." Lily hissed. James clenched his fist trying to hold back his anger.

"Is it just me or are people are always quick to blame Harry?" Frank observed.

"No, you're right. Every time something strange or mysterious happens, they always turn to Harry. It's like his their scapegoat. They seem to think he has strange mysterious powers of the sort." Luna admitted.

All the elders shared worried looks, while the younger occupants frowned.

"_**Argus**_**!" **

**Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers.**

"Thank goodness your there Albus. You'll make these people see sense." Augusta relaxed slightly.

**In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. **

"**Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger." **

**Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. **

A few people scowled.

"Why do I have a feeling he will only make things worse?" Dorea rubbed her temples.

"It's Lockhart." The teens answered as one.

All the elders chuckled at their mutual dislike for Lockhart.

"**My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —" **

"Probably the only useful thing he did, that year." Luna said to Hermione, receiving laughs from those who heard.

"**Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. **

**The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape. **

**As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.**

A few of the elders looked amused; however, the teens all looked a little green.

"I don't know about you, but I can't decide if Lockhart's or Umbridge's office was more disturbing." Hermione whispered to Luna.

"My vote is for Umbridge. All those cats. That can't be normal." She replied, before the girls broke in to giggles.

**The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching. **

Charlus chuckled. "I don't think you will be able to hide, that easily."

**The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile.**

Everyone turned to look at Severus with raised eyebrows.

Severus shrugged his shoulders, "I was probably amused by Lockhart's pictures."

**And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions. **

"Or that." He commented, gaining laughter from the others.

"**It was definitely a curse that killed her — probably the Transmogrifian Torture — I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her…" **

Moody growled. "Moron. There is no such thing as a Transmogrifian Torture."

"Albus…" Minerva practically growled.

"I know Minerva." He replied patiently. "Like I said before, I'm sure I had a perfectly good reason."

Luna and Hermione exchanged a look and scoffed.

**Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.**

"As much as I dislike that cat and Filch, I wouldn't wish this upon anyone." Alice said sadly.

No one disagreed there, especially the Marauders.

**Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure. **

"I would have known that he wasn't responsible, he doesn't have anything to worry about." Albus assured James and Lily who were looking at him fearfully.

They smiled at him with thanks.

**Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened. She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed. **

Hermione shivered. "He was definitely right about that. She was all stiff and her eyes were shiny and glazed over."

Sirius shuddered but still squeezed her waist in comfort.

"… **I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once…" **

"Why hasn't someone silenced him already?" Remus groaned.

People couldn't help but laugh.

**The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net. **

People laughed harder at that. Luna laughed so hard she began to snort, causing a few more rounds of laughter.

**At last Dumbledore straightened up. **

"**She's not dead, Argus," he said softly. **

"Thank goodness for that." Dorea said breathing a sigh of relief.

**Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented. **

"Finally." Remus muttered, making his girlfriend giggle.

"**Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all — all stiff and frozen?" **

"If dead, unless in rigor mortis, her body and arms and legs would be limp." Moody grumbled.

"**She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore**

"What in Merlin's baggy y fronts would do that?" Sirius asked fearfully.

"You don't want to know." Hermione shuddered. Luna gave her hand a squeeze.

**("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart). **

This caused Remus to scowl, making Amelia giggle once again

"How did you not see this Mimi?" James snorted.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him effectively shutting him up.

"**But how, I cannot say…" **

"**Ask **_**him**_**!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry. **

"**No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced —" **

"**He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found — in my office — he knows I'm a — I'm a —" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finished. **

"Harry would never use that against anyone. He wouldn't stoop that low." Luna hissed.

"**I never **_**touched **_**Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib **_**is**_**." **

Augusta tutted. "We definitely need to get those Wizarding education classes, set up."

"It's been noted, Augusta. We will enforce this in the new school year." Albus confirmed.

"**Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!" **

"**If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.**

All the teens looked at him in wonder.

"**Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, **

"You're defending them?" Lily smiled at her friend. Severus smiled back.

**a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?" **

"And now you back to your usual pleasant self." Lily grumbled.

Severus sneered at his book self, while Luna tried to calm him down.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. "… there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there —" **

"**But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?" **

**Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. **

"Of course, when in doubt, turn to Harry or Mia." Lucius chuckled.

"I know right? Talk about pressure." Hermione pouted, making the others laugh.

"**Because — because —" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said. **

"That was weak." Sirius groaned.

"Harry's always been horrible liar; he does get slightly better with time." Luna giggled.

"**Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties." **

"**We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble. **

All the teens face palmed, while the elders chuckled.

"Wouldn't have worked anyway, Ronald is always hungry." Luna said fondly.

"Yes, just like Padfoot." Remus laughed, gaining a cushion to the face.

**Snape's nasty smile widened. **

"**I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."**

There were growls and hisses from the room, including Severus himself.

"This situation has nothing to do with Quidditch. The cat wasn't hit with a broomstick or a bludger Snape." Regulus growled.

Severus raised an eyebrow at him. Regulus has never called him Snape before.

"I'm calling book you Snape, because he isn't the Severus we know." He replied.

Severus thought about it and nodded in approval. There was a silent agreement from then on to call book Severus, '_Snape_'_._

"**Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong." **

Regulus blushed once again, saying the same thing as the Professor was rather embarrassing. The elders and a few of the teens couldn't help but be amused.

**Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. **

"I hope you're not doing what I think you're doing Albus." Dorea narrowed her eyes.

"Certainly not Dorea, I wouldn't dream of it." Albus shifted in his seat, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her temper.

The teens all tried to hold back their snickers, it was funny watching their headmaster under someone else's' wrath for once.

"**Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly. **

**Snape looked furious. **

"Of course he was. He wanted Harry off the team so Slytherin would get the chance to win the cup." Frank grinned.

**So did Filch. **

"**My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some **_**punishment**_**!" **

"Once the perpetrator has been discovered, a punishment will be served." Minerva assured.

"**We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris." **

"Coincidence?" Lucius observed.

"Professor Sprout rotates her course work as well. It must be a coincidental." Alice shared.

"**I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep —" **

"I can't believe he just said that." Alice snickered.

"Shouldn't it be Severus' job to brew the potion?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, I would assume so." Charlus confirmed. Albus nodded in confirmation.

"**Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school." **

"Oh burn!" Sirius snickered.

"I might hate Snape, but I could give you a kiss right now Severus." James grinned.

"Please don't. I don't know about you but I don't swing that way." Severus said with a shudder, making the others laugh.

James looked a little green, realising what he just said.

**There was a very awkward pause. **

This earned a few more laughs.

"**You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. **

**They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces. **

"**D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?" **

"Maybe not in front of Lockhart but if you asked for a private word with Albus. He could help understand or assist." Charlus advised.

"I think we were just scared and confused at that time. We didn't know what to think, especially Harry." Hermione replied.

"**No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." **

"Definitely not." Agreed Lucius, hearing strange voices was definitely not the norm. How was his book self, doing all this?

**Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?" **

"'**Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But — you must admit it's weird…" **

"**I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? **_**The Chamber Has Been Opened**_**… What's that supposed to mean?" **

"**You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once… might've been Bill…" **

"Definitely Bill, he would have seen it in Hogwarts; A History. He used to read it to the younger Weasley's, as soon as they were able to get a copy." Hermione confirmed.

"**And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry. **

**To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger. **

Alice was appalled at her family member's behavior.

"That's not very nice. Squibs aren't something to laugh at, even if it is Filch." Narcissa scolded, feeling very defensive, since learning about her cousin.

Hermione felt an instant stabbing pain in her chest. She completely forgot about Ron's reaction and off handed comment.

"**Well — it's not funny really — but as it's Filch," he said. "A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter." **

"Can you blame him? The way our society treats Squibs it's appalling." Amelia shook her head.

No one disagreed with her there.

**A clock chimed somewhere. **

"**Midnight," said Harry. **

"It's late, you better get to bed." Augusta mothered.

"**We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."**

"That too." She chuckled fondly.

**For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. **

"It's not something you see or hear about every day, it was definitely something to be talked about." Frank nodded.

**Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.**

"Is the message still there now?" Charlus asked.

"Professors Flitwick and Snape had to do a bit of research because a spell was preventing its removal. It took a while, but it came off after a few months." Hermione replied.

**When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things ****like "breathing loudly' and "looking happy." **

Albus sighed. The others were definitely right; maybe a career change is required for Argus. He made a note to speak to his brother as soon as he can.

**Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover. **

Hermione and Luna winced internally, knowing the real reason.

"**But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her." Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking —" Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched. **

"Why is he bothering? He's making things worse, if anything." Regulus shook his head.

"It's Ron. He has foot in mouth disease." Luna smiled fondly.

**The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.**

Everyone glanced at her worriedly.

"I was just doing research. I'm fine. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the chamber." Hermione smiled.

James nodded but won't be assured until he knew what was going on.

"A little scared but I was okay. I promise." Hermione smiled at her brother.

**Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out. **

"Remus does that as well. When he is on to something or gets an idea for a prank, he'd block us out until his satisfied and ready to tell us." Amelia admitted with a fond smile.

Remus grinned sheepishly, while his friends agreed with her.

**Harry had been held back in Potions****, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks. After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming toward him. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction. **

"That was rude." Lily frowned.

Lucius' eyes narrowed at the odd behaviour. "Muggleborn."

Frank catching his train of thought nodded in understanding. "Chamber of Secrets."

The others looked on confused.

"Are you two geniuses going to tell the rest of us what is going on?" Regulus frowned.

Lucius sighed. "Using the information Luna gave us about the school using Harry as a scapegoat. I have come to the conclusion that rumors are already circulating and Harry has been named the heir. As a result, all the students, specifically Muggleborns are avoiding Harry for fear of being attacked."

"That's ridiculous." Lily scowled.

"I'm not surprised though, you've got to admit, it's predictable. With Harry's history with the strange and mysterious, it's to be expected. Hogwarts is a boarding school with hundreds of kids and the threat of the Chamber being open; people's imaginations are bound to run wild." Amelia concluded.

"What I want to know is what my book self is up to and how all this is happening." Lucius grumbled. Narcissa rubbed his back in comfort, while the others looked at him pityingly.

**Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three foot long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."**

"**I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "And Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny." **

"That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Minerva said calmly. "I understand you feel you need to do your best and all bases are covered but sometimes it's better to make it short and concise. On a more personal note, you have to understand we're not only marking your work, we're looking at others as well, so after a few essays it does become tedious."

Hermione colored but nodded in understanding.

"**Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework. **

"**Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas." **

"Very ambitious of her but I don't think that's what she was doing." Charlus chuckled.

**Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him. **

"**Dunno why you care. I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron,**

"Justin's quite intelligent but like everyone else at the time they were just scared. Ron's just being his usual charming self." Luna defended her friend.

"I'm sure your right dear." Augusta assured her. "We're all starting to understand Ron's character, I'm sure he means well."

**scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that junk about Lockhart being so great —"**

**Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them. **

"**All the copies of **_**Hogwarts, A History **_**have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron.**

"Didn't you have your own copy?" Amelia asked.

"I did but because of the Lockhart books I had to leave it behind." Hermione scowled.

Remus shook his head. "I can't believe you left a decent book at home because of his rubbish."

"I didn't have a choice. I would have owled my parents but they were away at a conference."

James coughed, however it sounded something like _'Bookworms'_. Lily elbowed him in the ribs whilst Remus and Hermione glared.

"**And there's a two-week waiting list. I **_**wish **_**I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books." **

"**Why do you want it?" said Harry. **

"**The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." **

"Understandable." Remus nodded, making his friends laugh.

"**What's that?" said Harry quickly. **

"**That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione,**

"I would have thought you memorised it by now. After all you quote it enough." Charlus chuckled.

"I remember most of the legend but there was something nagging me about it. I just wanted a refresher, in case I missed anything vital." She explained with colored cheeks.

**biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else —" **

"**Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch. **

"I hope you didn't." Dorea narrowed her eyes.

"Of course not. How will they ever learn?" she smiled.

Dorea nodded in approval.

"**No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it —" **

"**I only need another two inches, come on —" **

**The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering. **

"What's new?" Luna said cocking her head to the side, the others laughed while Hermione scowled.

**History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard.**

"And that's the most entertainment we'll ever get from that class." James sighed.

**Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of ****the staff room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since. **

This made some of the elders chuckle.

**Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before. Hermione put up her hand. **

Everyone looked at her in shock. She tried very hard to keep her face neutral and to keep herself from laughing at their expressions.

**Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed. **

"**Miss — er —?" **

"He can't even remember her name. What sort of teacher doesn't remember his students' names?" Augusta gasped.

"**Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.**

"Ahhh…" The teens all said as one.

Moody grunted in approval. "Straight to the point, don't beat around the bush."

"Definitely would have gathered everyone's attention now." Charlus chuckled.

**Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk. **

"Oh Neville." Alice giggled. "He's like the comic relief in these books."

"He is." Luna agreed. "The good thing is he laughs about it as well."

**Professor Binns blinked. **

"**My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with **_**facts**_**, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk slipping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers —" **

"Maybe Hagrid could take a few pointers at changing subjects." Regulus laughed.

**He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again. **

"**Miss Grant?" **

"**Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" **

Once again Moody grunted in approval.

**Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead. **

"No one has ever interrupted or asked a question in his class before." Amelia giggled.

"It's because no one's been awake long enough to ask or interrupt before." Frank laughed.

"Who knew you were such a rebel." James teased.

"You haven't seen the last of it." Luna grinned. "Just like Harry, when she sets her mind on something she's quite determined."

"That's just a nice way of calling her stubborn." Narcissa grinned.

"You could say that."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at them, while everyone laughed.

"**Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very **_**sensational**_**, even **_**ludicrous **_**tale —" **

**But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.**

Albus chuckled. "Definitely would have shocked him."

"**Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see… the Chamber of Secrets…**

"Well done Mia, very persuasive." Charlus praised, while shaking his head with a smile.

"Thank you Papa." She said as she got up and did a little curtsey while the others laughed.

"**You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."**

**He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued. **

"**For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more **_**selective **_**about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy.**

"It makes some sense. The Salem witch trials are proof of that. The muggles would have caused a a riot if one of their own had the gift." Charlus said.

"At least now we know where all the blood supremacy began. Though, who are they to decide who was worthy of magic?" Augusta growled.

**After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."**

**Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.**

Everyone laughed at Harry's description.

"Always with the animal analogies, I love it." Alice grinned.

"**Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. **

"**Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic." **

Everyone paled including the elders.

**There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly ****annoyed. **

"You'd think he'd be pleased that people are listening to what he had to say." Alice muttered.

"**The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."**

"He shouldn't have said that. He's only encouraging Mia." Lucius grinned.

"Then what would have petrified the Cat?" Amelia scowled.

**Hermione's hand was back in the air. **

A few people laughed at Lucius' prediction.

"**Sir — what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?" **

"**That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," **

Those who didn't know the legend gasped.

**said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.**

"Uh oh. Best stop asking questions now." Remus winced.

**The class exchanged nervous looks. **

"**I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster." **

"Yes and Mrs Norris bared herself stiff on her own accord." Regulus rolled his eyes.

"**But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else **_**would **_**be able to find it, would they?" **

"**Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing —" **

"**But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it —" **

"**Just because a wizard **_**doesn't **_**use Dark Magic doesn't mean he **_**can't**_**, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —" **

"**But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't —" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough. **

"**That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to **_**history**_**, to solid, believable, verifiable **_**fact**_**!"**

"Awesome. You guys actually pushed him off the edge. I don't think that's ever happened before." Frank grinned.

"What the kids had to say might be correct. He shouldn't have dismissed their thoughts like that." Charlus said.

"He should have report these thoughts to Albus. Any information is useful." Minerva agreed.

**And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor. **

"Well at least it was a lesson to be remembered." Amelia said positively.

"**I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home…" **

The Slytherins including Dorea scowled.

"Just ignore it; he is always going to think this way and he still does. Like I said, his got foot in mouth disease. Doesn't think of what he says until he says it. It gets him in a lot of trouble." Luna sighed. "Mia and Harry made peace with his prejudices and insecurities but it still gets on my nerves." She admitted.

Everyone gave her and encouraging smile.

**Hermione nodded fervently, **

Hermione down guiltily, seeing the offended looks from the Slytherins. "I was wrong. I don't think that now, at that point in time I did. My thinking has changed, you will see why over the next few years."

The Slytherins seemed satisfied although slightly hurt.

**but Harry didn't say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly. **

**Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting **_**him **_**in Slytherin. **

"He did tell us eventually but it wasn't til later on that year." Hermione admitted.

**He could remember, as though it were yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he'd placed the hat on his head a year before**_**: You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that**_**… **

**But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin House's reputation for turning out Dark wizards, had thought desperately, Not Slytherin! and the hat had said, **_**Oh, well, if you're sure**_**… **_**better be Gryffindor**_**… **

"Could you imagine if he was in Slytherin though? The rumors and speculation would have been instantaneous, whether he was found near Mrs Norris or not." Lucius commented.

**As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevy went past. **

"**Hiya, Harry!" **

"**Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically. **

"**Harry — Harry — a boy in my class has been saying you're —" **

"Lovely, even Colin's heard about it." Sirius scowled.

**But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone. **

"**What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered. **

"**That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime**

Lily sighed. She really wished she could be there for her son.

"**People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust. **

_Yes and you aren't gullible at all. _Luna thought to herself, remembering the trios forth year.

**The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty. **

"**D'you **_**really **_**think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione. **

"**I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be — well — human."**

Hermione tensed, this didn't go unnoticed by Sirius, Frank, Lucius, Narcissa or the elders. Lucius paled, he had a bad feeling something was going to happened to Hermione and it was his fault. The others however, all made a note of their findings on their parchment.

**As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened." **

"You kids shouldn't be there; it would only make you suspicious." Moody growled.

"**That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered. **

**They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted. **

"**Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues. **

The Potters and Lily groaned.

"Just like his parents, too curious for his own good." Amelia shook her head.

"**Scorch marks!" he said. "Here — and here —" **

"**Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny…" **

**Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack.**

"Good observation." Moody grunted approvingly.

**A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside. **

"**Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly. **

Dorea gasped. She knew of a creature that caused spiders to flee, but she couldn't be sure. Hermione caught her train of thought and nodded. Dorea couldn't help but clutch Charlus' (to his confusion) arm fearfully.

"**No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?" **

**He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run. **

A few snickers were shared.

"Is he afraid of spiders?" Remus laughed.

Luna and Hermione giggled and nodded.

"I wouldn't blame him. Those long creepy legs and beady little eyes." Amelia shuddered.

Remus laughed. "Amelia has an irrational fear of insects of spiders and slugs."

Amelia scowled as everyone laughed at her limaxaphobia (fear of slugs) and arachnophobia (fear or spiders). "You would be too, if you were six and having cereal for breakfast and a four year old Edmund turned my cereal in to a bowl of spiders and slugs, because Edgar had taken his book."

Hermione was instantly reminded of her third year DADA lesson with boggarts.

"…_It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake — tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening…" (Prisoner of Azkaban – Chapter 7, Page 101.)_

She couldn't help but giggle; she wondered which one of her new friends was afraid of headless corpses.

"**What's up?" said Harry. **

"**I — don't — like — spiders," said Ron tensely. **

"**I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times…" **

"**I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move…" **

"True." Amelia shuddered once again, causing her friends to laugh.

**Hermione giggled. **

As per her book self, Hermione giggled once again. "I couldn't help myself. He was such a tough talking, going on about he wasn't afraid of anything and all that. Then along comes a spider and he starts whimpering like a little girl."

That impression made the others laugh as well, even Amelia let out a little giggle.

"**It's not funny," said Ron, fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my — my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick… You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and…" **

This gained more giggles from Hermione. "I'm sorry. I'm just picturing the incident, in my head." She gasped. "What he didn't mention was he intentionally broke Fred's broom, because he was jealous. Fred retaliated with accidental magic. The Weasley's didn't allow their children to start flying until they were four. Fred and George had just gotten theirs."

**He broke off, shuddering. Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh. Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up." **

"Always the peace maker, I was having fun." Hermione pouted, making the others laugh.

The Potters, Narcissa and Lucius smiled, hearing Hermione laugh so much in this chapter made them breathe a little easier. The last few chapters were a bit difficult and they weren't looking forward to what would happen later.

"**It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door." **

**He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned. **

"**What's the matter?" said Harry. **

"**Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet." **

"**Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look." **

**And ignoring the large OUT OF ORDER sign, she opened the door. **

All the girls groaned.

"You could have avoided her and you chose to go in." Alice shook her head. "Good Luck."

**It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges. **

"Why hasn't anyone bothered to fix it?" Frank asked.

"There was no point. Myrtle would have wreaked havoc and made a mess either way. There really was not much point in cleaning it up." Minerva replied.

**Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off toward the end stall. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?" **

**Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin. **

"Lovely." Regulus shuddered

"**This is a **_**girls' **_**bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "**_**They're **_**not girls." **

"Really? I didn't know that" Severus said sarcastically, making the others snicker.

Lily smiled; she missed her friends' snarky humour.

"**No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how er — nice it is in here." **

**She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor. **

"It's always hard talking to Myrtle, it's like you have to walk on eggshells around her." Narcissa shook her head.

"**Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione. **

"**What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him. **

"Uh oh." All the females winced.

"Not good." Lily said sympathetically.

"**Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask —" **

"**I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I **_**do **_**have feelings, you know, even if I **_**am **_**dead —" **

"**Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only —" **

"**No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"**

"**We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween." **

"**Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry. **

"**I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to **_**kill **_**myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm — that I'm —" **

"**Already dead," said Ron helpfully. **

All the females face palmed.

"Why would she become a ghost then?" Sirius asked confusedly.

"She probably wanted to haunt the people who bullied her when she was alive. Myrtle had a weird sense of humour." Augusta replied.

**Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend. **

**Harry and Ron stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle… Come on, let's go." **

"True." A few of the girls agreed. The boys were still in shock, over the actions of the over dramatic ghost.

**Harry had barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump. **

"**RON!" **

**Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.**

"If he is the female version of Molly as you say, this won't end well." Frank laughed.

"**That's a **_**girls' **_**bathroom!" he gasped. "What were **_**you **_**—?"**

"He should have said that he was cross dressing or getting in touch with his feminine side. It'd be funny to see Percy's reaction." Alice grinned.

"ALICE!" Lily yelled.

"Oh come on Lils, I'm just having a bit of fun." She pouted, while the others laughed at Alice's sick sense of humor.

"**Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know —" **

**Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley. **

This made a few of them chuckle.

"**Get — away — from — there —" Perry said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms. **

Hermione giggled. "He really did look ridiculous, his long arms waving around."

"**Don't you **_**care **_**what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner —" **

Alice frowned. "It's always about appearances isn't it?"

"Unfortunately." Hermione confirmed.

"**Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!" **

"**That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of **_**her**_**, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business —" **

"_**You **_**don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were now reddening. "**_**You're **_**just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy —" **

"**Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more **_**detective work**_**, or I'll write to Mum!" **

All the boys whistled.

"That's low blow." Sirius shook his head.

**And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears. **

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment. Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed **_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 **_**shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit. **

Everyone became alert instantly.

"**Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwart's?" **

"**Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?" **

"That's a lot of people." Frank shook his head.

**He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced. **

"**If you're talking about Malfoy —" **

"That's pathetic, his blinded by his hatred for Draco that he immediately laid blame in the Malfoy's?" Regulus scowled. "Just because something sinister is happening, doesn't mean it was them. It's that kind of prejudice that starts rivalries and rifts. He has the nerve to insult others when they pin point Harry but his doing the exact same thing with Draco. That's really low."

"**Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him — 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'— come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him —" **

No one said anything. If they hadn't heard Lucius' admission this morning, they would have come to the same assumption as well.

"**Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically. **

"No, we aren't linked to the Slytherin line. Distantly, possibly through marriages but not anything close." Lucius clarified.

"**Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough." **

"**They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son…" **

"**Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible…" **

Lucius tensed once again. Hermione got up from her seat and squeezed in beside him and tried to assure him everything was okay.

"**But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly. **

"**There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect —" **

"You're encouraging them to break the rules?" Lily said skeptically.

"**If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.**

"**All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."**

James eyed his sister suspiciously. _What was she up to?_

"**But that's impossible," Harry said as Ron laughed. **

"**No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion." **

All the elders narrowed their eyes at her as she shrunk in to her seat guiltily.

"**What's that?" said Ron and Harry together. **

"**Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago —" **

"**D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron. **

"I certainly hope he does listen to Snape. A potion gone wrong could be dangerous." Frank said coldly.

"**It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him." **

"That's very advanced. I hope you know what you're doing Mia." Dorea reprimanded.

Hermione winced, being reminded of her mishap. She had a tail and was coughing fur balls! Lucius sighed and gave her leg a little squeeze.

"**This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?" **

"**It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."**

**There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.**

"**Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."**

"**I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance…**

"Who'd fall for that?" Charlus frowned.

"Lockhart." The teens said as one. The elders groaned, while a few were still looking at Hermione with disappointment.

"**Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick..."**

Henry marked his page and handed the book over to his wife.

"You're encouraging them to brew a dangerous potion?" Sirius said wide eyed. "I'm shocked. If possible, I think you'd be suited for Slytherin house."

"Well... the hat did say if I wasn't muggleborn, I was ambitious enough. Though it was stuck between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor for a while, my bravery won out in the end." She replied.

Everyone was shocked at her declaration. If she wasn't muggleborn she could have been in Slytherin? They could see it now, that they thought about it.


	12. Not a Chapter - Author Note 3

Hi everyone!

I'm currently sitting in an internet Cafe in London, I'm having a great time. I love the atmosphere and people here. I definitely want to come back or live here in the future. However, I'm leaving for Paris the end of this week and I'm very excited about it!

Anyway, I'm just catching up on emails and I thought I'd pop a quick message to all my readers with admitting to a **_big booboo_** on my part.** *winces* **My intention was to upload my next chapter on the morning of my flight. However, **you are all going to hate me, because I did the most stupidest thing ever...! **I went to check my bag when I realized I had left my USB back at Work. _***runs and hides behind her chair***_

So, I'm apologizing to you all, with my tail between my legs, because you most likely won't get an update til I get back home in 3-4 weeks time. Also, apologies for the Author Updates, but I'll make sure to delete them when I get back and upload as soon as I get my hands on my USB. PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND MY RETARDEDNESS!


	13. Chapter 10 - The Rogue Bludger

**A/N:** Hello My lovelies, I'm BACK! I finally returned to work after an awesome time away and I have my USB in front of me! London, Paris and Rome was fantastic I absolutely loved it. I'm well rested and my younger cousin had a great time. I was able to catch up with family while in London and Paris and definitely want to return. I hope you all didn't miss me too much. hehehe.

Anyway to make up for my carelessness I will be uploading two chapters tonight. I'm apologising for any typos or gramatical errors because I was writing this up at work between dealing with clients. If you spot anything please let me know.

Easter long weekend will be this weekend here in Sydney, Australia, so I'll be spending most of it to write up the next few chapters. I'm going to try and dedicate more time to writing but I can't make any promises.

Don't forget, if you can read French, **Marine76** is started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1" with credits to me. If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

Anyway, Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**CHAPTER 10 - The Rogue Bludger**

Augusta glanced at the next chapter title and blanched. _Not good._ "_**Chapter Ten – The Rogue Bludger."**_

"I don't like this." Lily groaned.

"Me too, sweetheart." Dorea mumbled, as she instantly gripped Charlus' hand.

**Since the disastrous episode of the pixies, Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class.**

"If he explained the characteristics of the creature and the theory, then defense against them, instead of springing the creatures on unsuspecting students there wouldn't be an issue." Remus snapped.

**Instead, he read passages from his books to them, and sometimes reenacted some of the more dramatic bits. **

"Let me guess, young Potter was roped in to _'help'_ with these so called performances?" Moody growled.

Luna and Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking; _did you have to ask?_

The elders all snickered as he grunted in understanding.

**He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions; so far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him. **

"Vampires need blood to survive; you can't just make them eat lettuce. I highly doubt you learned anything from that rubbish, what a waste of perfectly good paper." Remus said sympathetically.

"He's right, I feel sorry for your next teacher." Frank said shaking his head.

Hermione and Luna snickered much to the confusion of the others.

**Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting a werewolf. **

Remus sat there wide-eyed as the others laughed at the expression on his face.

"He was surprisingly very good, if you must know." Hermione giggled.

**If he hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, he would have refused to do it. **

"**Nice loud howl, Harry — exactly — and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced — like this — slammed him to the floor — thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down — with my other, I put my wand to his throat — I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm – he let out a piteous moan — go on, Harry — higher than that — good — the fur vanished — the fangs shrank — and he turned back into a man. **

Minerva rolled her eyes. "There isn't a spell in existence that can do that. If only it were that easy, it would have sold all of our problems." She gave Remus a smile, who smiled back weakly.

**Simple, yet effective — and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks." **

"Idiot." Was the thought on everyones mind.

**The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet. **

"**Homework — compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!" **

"So only Mia and his band of groupies did the assignment?" James snickered; not noticing a stinging hex headed his way until he yelped and fell on the floor.

Hermione pocketed her wand and gave him a sickly sweet smile, while everyone else laughed.

**The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Ron and Hermione were waiting. **

"**Ready?" Harry muttered. **

"**Wait till everyone's gone," **

Moody nodded in approval.

**said Hermione nervously. "All right…" **

**She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry and Ron right behind her. **

"The Golden Trio." Luna hummed, while Hermione groaned.

"The Golden Trio?" Henry questioned.

"It's the name the rest of the school gave them, the Golden Trio of Gryffindor. Whenever they spoke about them or to figure out what they were up to, they'd see them as the Golden Trio rather than individuals. Mia and Harry hated it but of course Ron loved it." Luna explained.

"You'd hate it too, if people kept gawking at you every time you walked past, trying to figure out what you were up to and get involved in your business." Hermione scowled, while the others chuckled.

"**Er — Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to — to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it — I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow-acting venoms." **

"I'm sure you're already knowledgeable in that subject and don't need much more assistance." Regulus scoffed.

Hermione's cheeks coloured.

"**Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?" **

"**Oh, yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer —" **

This caused everyone to burst out in laughter.

"You can't be serious? People actually believe that this actually happened?" Alice scoffed. "Are you sure these books aren't published for a bit of comic relief or something?"

"People did actually believe that he actually performed these acts of _'heroism'_. It was hilarious." Luna giggled.

"**Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill. **

"Looks like someones trying to over compensate for something." Alice whispered to Amelia but loud enough for the room to hear, making the men/boys burst out in laughter while Lily screeched "ALICE!"

"**Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face. "I usually save it for book-signings." **

"Yes I'm sure his green posterior shows how in awe he is of it." Severus sneered.

**He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione. **

"Just a few complimentary words and he signed it without even reading?" Minerva groaned. "Can this idiot get any thicker?"

All the teens looked at her in awe. They've never heard their professor speak badly of colleague before.

Hermione and Luna giggled.

"You've seen nothing yet. This is pretty tame compared to what else she says about her future colleagues." Hermione grinned.

The teens all looked positively excited whilst the other elders chuckled at their friends coloured cheeks.

"**So, Harry," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player.**

"Useful?" James gasped almost falling out of his seat. "He's one of the most valuable players on the team, the most important if anything." His girlfriend and friends all rolled their eyes at the Quidditch mad teen.

**I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces.**

"That's a lie if there ever was one. He tried out for the house team and couldn't even stay on his broom long enough to get off the ground." Frank growled.

**Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players…" **

"Less able players?" James said looking faint while the others ignored him.

Hermione and Luna couldn't help but giggle.

**Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried off after Ron and Hermione. **

"Good idea." Charlus nodded.

"**I don't believe it," he said as the three of them examined the signature on the note. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."**

"**That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron. "But who cares, we've got what we needed—" **

"**He is not a brainless git," said Hermione shrilly as they half ran toward the library. **

The Marauders all opened their mouths, but were silenced by Hermione's glare and the subtle stroking of her wand.

"**Just because he said you were the best student of the year —" **

Once again the boys eyed her wand as she gave them a sickly sweet smile. The elders were in awe. No one could keep the boys in line so efficiently.

**They dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture. **

"**Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go. **

"**I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly. **

"Can't believe how impressionable I was back then." Hermione mumbled, as the others laughed.

Sirius chuckled and whispered _"Cute"_ making her blush as their friends gave them all-knowing looks.

"**Oh, come on," said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough." **

"True." All the teens said simultaneously making everyone laugh.

**Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery, but it passed the test. She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and moldy-looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty. **

"You had a legitimate note and signature. You have nothing to feel guilty about." Albus assured.

Hermione gave him a soft smile.

**Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out-of-order bathroom once again.**

**Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy.**

Moody, Henry and Charlus nodded in agreement.

**Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her stall, but they were ignoring her, and she them. **

**Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully, and the three of them bent over the damp-spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations,**

"That's an understatement." Charlus shuddered.

**which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head. **

"Only show what could go wrong, if the potion isn't made correctly." Dorea explained seeing the expression on some of the teens faces.

No one noticed Hermione wince at the reminder.

"**Here it is," said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed **_**The Polyjuice Potion**_**. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces. **

"It is a tad painful, like an Animagus transformation but Animagi is more on the uncomfortable side. You get used to it after a while." Henry confirmed.

"Oh, you're an Animagus?" Luna asked excitedly. "Mia and I were thinking of being ones ourselves."

"A few of us are. It is a very useful skill to have. As you know, Minerva is a Tabby cat. Dorea is a Leopard, Charlus is a Mountain Lion and I'm the smallest a Barn Swallow out of all things." Henry chuckled along with everyone else. It was hard to imagine the tall broad shouldered man as a tiny Swallow.

"Great! You can help us, I'm sure there are others who want to learn as well." Hermione grinned, eyeing the marauders (who were shifting in their seats awkwardly) as the other teens nodded eagerly.

"**This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves… Oooh, look, powdered horn of a bicorn — don't know where we're going to get that — shredded skin of a boomslang — that'll be tricky, too and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into." **

"That sounds nasty." Narcissa said looking ill.

"It tastes like it as well." Henry agreed.

"**Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it —" **

Everyone face palmed.

**Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him. **

"I guess that's normal then?" Alice snickered.

"I think she developed the art of selective hearing, unknowingly and it irritates him to no end when she ignores him." Luna replied, gaining laughs as Hermione grinned sheepishly.

"**We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last…"**

**Ron turned, speechless, to Harry, who had another worry. **

"**D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea…" **

**Hermione shut the book with a snap. **

"**Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine," she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in.' **

Everyone gave her an odd look.

"You're encouraging them to break the rules?" Lily asked in awe.

"I was desperate and scared; nothing was being done about the attacks, which we knew of. I had to talk myself in to brewing the potion; it seemed like such a waste if we didn't go ahead." She replied softly.

"Understandable." Albus assured.

Sirius pulled her closer to his side and kissed the crown of her head in comfort. "If it was in our control, we won't let anything happen to you." He whispered. Hermione tensed a little at the kiss but smiled and nodded nonetheless.

The rest of the room looked worriedly in her direction, none more so than Lucius who was feeling guilty.

"**I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron. "All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, okay?"**

"He honestly can't get over it can he? It can just be a few strands of hair." Severus shook his head.

"**How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.**

"**Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days… I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients." **

"Yes that is another unfortunate thing about the potion." Dorea admitted.

"**A month?" said Ron. "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!" But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and he added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say." **

"I think we've seen a few of those glares during our time here. I don't blame him." James flinched expecting a cushion or stinging hex, but nothing came. Instead he received one of Hermione's glares, while the others laughed.

**However, while Hermione was checking that the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom, Ron muttered to Harry, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."**

James and Sirius jumped up to shout out in agreement but found they had lost their voices. They turned towards a ginning Hermione who held her hands up in defense. Hearing giggles they turned to Luna who pointed to Narcissa; who was a picture of innocence, making everyone laugh as they pouted.

**Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. **

"How is this game any different to any other Slytherin vs Gryffindor game?" Amelia frowned.

"It's because it's the first time they'll be playing against the Nimbus 2001's. They don't know what to expect or how Draco plays so they're quite nervous." Luna replied.

**After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much. **

"Even the twins?" Regulus asked.

Hermione and Luna nodded.

**As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck as he entered the locker rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk. **

"**Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. **

Everyone cheered including the Slytherins. Meanwhile, James and Sirius bounced in their seats excitedly while; those seated with them got jostled. James and Sirius waved their arms around to get Narcissa's attention. She rolled her eyes and flicked her wand removing the spell, causing them to cheer.

Valentina whimpered in her rocker and turned and continued sleeping causing the two to grin sheepishly and at the glares from everyone in the room.

**We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers —"("Too true," muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August") "— and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." **

Lucius winced when Narcissa smacked him with a cushion.

**Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry. **

"**It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to." **

Everyone groaned.

"Why'd he say that for? He's going to take it literally." Sirius groaned.

"That's Ollie." Hermione sighed. "He doesn't think sometimes when it comes to Quidditch."

"I'm going to make sure your ex-boyfriend isn't born, if something happens to Harry." James scowled.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Sirius nodded in agreement.

"**So no pressure, Harry" said Fred, winking at him. **

Augusta paused. "Did anyone else want to read? I wouldn't be able to do it any justice."

"Mum give it to Remus, he's a great commentator." Frank grinned as Minerva groaned as the teens cheered.

Remus cleared his throat and grinned, before he began reading.

**As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, **

"I'm hurt. See Professor, thats why we have to continuously defend ourselves. Everyone is prejudiced against us, it's just plain rude." Regulus pouted, while everyone laughed.

"I don't see how Mister Stebbins who was sitting in the Hufflepuff stands watching the game, needed a beaters bat thrown at his head in self-defense. Especially when you're a seeker not a beater, how you got a hold of a bat mid game is beyond me." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Well. I never really liked that guy anyway." He grinned sheepishly as everyone laughed harder.

**but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary. **

"**On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three… two… one…"**

**With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch. **

"**All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom. **

"How original." Severus sneered, while Narcissa pursed her lips.

**Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward him; he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed. **

"**Close one, Harry!" said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin. Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Harry again. **

"Someone's tampered with that bludger." Charlus growled.

Lily gasped, gripping on to James instantly. "I forgot about the chapter title, The Rogue Bludger."

This caused the majority of the room to pale.

**Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head. **

Dorea gasped, clasping her hand to her mouth.

**Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the pitch. He could hear the Bludger whistling along behind him. What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible… **

_Not unless you had a house-elf who was determined to 'save your life.'_ Hermione thought to herself sadly.

**Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course. **

"Thank goodness for those twins." Amelia said, clutching to Remus' arm while he read.

"**Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted to Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed. **

"He needs to catch the snitch and end the game now! Before the bludger gets him." Sirius growled.

All the Quidditch fanatics nodded their heads.

**It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face, splattering onto his glasses.**

"That's really annoying. He just needs a water repelling charm on them". James commented, Charlus nodding in agreement.

**He didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero.' **

The Gryffindors all groaned.

**The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it. **

"They need to back off and let Harry out fly it, otherwise he won't be able to catch the snitch if they keep hovering over him." Charlus said voice shaking.

"**Someone's — tampered — with — this — Bludger —" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry. **

"**We need time out," said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time. **

**Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger. **

"What were you girls thinking when you were watching the game?" Alice asked.

"I didn't know what to think because I didn't know Harry well then. All I know was I was scared for him and confused because I didn't know what was going on." Luna replied.

"I was positively shaking. I was so worried for him; I swear it was out to kill him. Poor Dean still has scars from when I dug my nails in to his arm. He learned not to sit next to me after that." Hermione grinned sheepishly as the others laughed.

"**What's going on?" said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?" **

"**We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver," said George angrily.**

Luna gasped. "The twins are never angry. This is the first time I've seen George act this way. Even during the final battle, they were laughing and smiling."

Everyone frowned. _Not good._ They all thought.

"**Someone's fixed it — it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it." **

"**But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…" said Wood, anxiously. Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction. **

There were growls and hisses heard throughout the room.

"**Listen," said Harry as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one." **

"**Don't be thick," said Fred. "It'll take your head off." **

"He has such loyal friends." Dorea beamed. Lily smiled as well.

**Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys. **

"**Oliver, this is insane," said Alicia Spinner angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry…" **

"Yes do that! He needs to get off the field; we can always schedule another game." Minerva said worriedly.

"**If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!" **

Lily whacked James with a cushion. "It's your entire fault our son is a Quidditch obsessed."

James rubbed his head and scowled. He too was worried about Harry and just took the beating. Lily huffed eventually muttering _'boys'_ under her breath, when he didn't respond.

"**This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell him —" **

James and Sirius growled and glared at the book.

Hermione gulped and gripped Sirius tightly. She hoped that the Marauders won't be responsible for Eaden Wood not being able to produce children in the future. Oliver was a good man, he just didn't have his priorities right that time.

**Madam Hooch had joined them. **

"**Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood. **

**Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face. **

"**All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry — leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own." **

Lily and Dorea gasped and grabbed on to their other half.

**The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the Bludger behind him. Higher and higher Harry climbed; he looped and swooped, spiraled, zigzagged, and rolled. Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open, rain was speckling his glasses and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. He could hear laughter from the crowd; he knew he must look very stupid,**

"No he didn't. He actually looked quite graceful, like he was performing some sort of dance in the sky. If you ever get to see the Muggles doing the sky performances with their light planes, it's quite enchanting." Luna said wistfully.

**but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as Harry could; he began a kind of roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goal posts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past Wood.**

**A whistling in Harry's ear told him the Bludger had just missed him again; he turned right over and sped in the opposite direction. **

"**Training for the ballet, Potter?" yelled Malfoy as Harry was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in midair to dodge the Bludger, and he fled, the Bludger trailing a few feet behind him; and then, glaring back at Malfoy in hatred, he saw it — the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above Malfoy's left ear — and Malfoy, busy laughing at Harry, hadn't seen it. **

"Idiot!" Lucius growled.

**For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in midair, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch. **

**WHAM.**

Everyone winced.

**He had stayed still a second too long. The Bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his elbow, and Harry felt his arm break.**

Remus' voice slightly faltered but he continued to read, determined to finish the chapter.

**Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain-drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side — the Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time zooming at his face — Harry swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged in his numb brain: get to Malfoy. **

**Through a haze of rain and pain he dived for the shimmering, sneering face below him and saw its eyes widen with fear: Malfoy thought Harry was attacking him. **

"**What the —" he gasped, careening out of Harry's way. **

**Harry took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch; he felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch but was now only gripping the broom with his legs, and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out. **

**With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle; riddled with pain, he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting. He focused on the Snitch clutched in his good hand. **

"**Aha," he said vaguely. "We've won." **

Luna giggled. "Draco thought that Harry was drugged or something at the moment. He said Harry had a crazed look in his eye before he pelted in his direction. Draco almost wet himself." Luna giggled.

"Like father like son aye, Jamie boy here is the same. When he gets in to Quidditch mode, you need to back away. He gets this look in his eye, it's quite scary." Sirius added, gaining laughs from everyone.

Remus handed the book back to Augusta who picked up where he left off.

**And he fainted. **

**He came around, rain falling on his face, still lying on the field, with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth. **

"Oh no. Not him!" The teens all groaned.

"**Oh, no, not you," he moaned. **

This gained a few weak chuckles.

"**Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm." **

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" All the teens yelled.

Valentina stirred and gave a little gurgle from her rocker. Hermione waved off the apologies and handed her over to Sirius and as she prepared a bottle. "Shes has slept through louder. It was just time for her to have a feed and change."

"**No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks…"**

**He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby. **

"**I don't want a photo of this, Colin," he said loudly. **

"**Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times —" **

"Where's Madam Pomfrey? She's usually there by now." Lily said worryingly. "He'll only make it worse."

"She's probably trying to get through all the people flocking back to the castle or through the crowd to Harry." James said trying to calm her down.

"**Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth. **

"**He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say —" **

A few people laughed at this.

"Not the time Ollie." Hermione scolded but lost its effect because she was smiling. Even though she wasn't dating Oliver any longer, she and Ollie were still quite good friends and that she was thankful for. Sirius eyes flashed slightly, seeing the sad look in her eye but chose to leave it alone.

**Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight. **

"Why aren't there any teachers or Madam Hooch helping the twins investigate this?" Augusta frowned.

"I'm not too sure Augusta and I am not impressed." Charlus growled.

Albus and Minerva looked down guiltily. _What has become of them in the future?_

"**Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves. **

"**No — don't —" said Harry weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm. **

**A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated.**

All the teens groaned.

"I hope he didn't do what I think he did." Dorea hissed.

"It's Lockhart, it could only mean trouble Ma'am." Amelia said coldly.

**He didn't dare look at what was happening. He had shut his eyes, his face turned away from his arm, but his worst fears were realized as the people above him gasped and Colin Creevey began clicking away madly. His arm didn't hurt anymore — nor did it feel remotely like an arm. **

"He did." Dorea said incredulously.

"**Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. **

"No it can't. He's said the incorrect incantation and someone inexperienced as him could have caused more damage." Dorea hissed.

Making everyone's eyes go wide. _What had Lockhart done?_

**But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will be able to — er — tidy you up a bit."**

"What did Lockhart do to my son?" James growled, he did not like not knowing.

"Of course, she'd have to clean up his mess. Harry has no bones left. He removed all the bones in his arm! If he wasn't careful he could have removed the nerve endings in his arm and caused major damage. Sometimes not even magic could fix that." Dorea said darkly.

The room was in an uproar, it was a few moments before Augusta could continue.

**As Harry got to his feet, he felt strangely lopsided. Taking a deep breath he looked down at his right side. What he saw nearly made him pass out again. **

**Poking out of the end of his robes was what looked like a thick, flesh-colored rubber glove. He tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened. **

**Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones. He had removed them. **

Once more there were growls of anger, the loudest from Remus. Which got Hermione and Luna worried.

**Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased. **

"Rightly so. We don't want our patients to suffer. Now thanks to Lockhart, Harry will have to go through unnecessary comfort and pain." Dorea said through pursed lips.

"**You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second — but growing them back —" **

"**You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.**

"**I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night…" **

**Hermione waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Ron helped him into his pajamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve. **

"**How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as he pulled Harry's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Harry had wanted deboning he would have asked." **

"**Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione **_**snapped**_**. "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry?" **

All the teens and some of the elders looked at her in shock.

"I was already starting to see the flaws in Lockhart and the lies but he kept rubbing it in my face. It was irritating me and annoying me, he was insulting my intelligence and my judgement; so I instantly jumped to the defensive." Hermione explained, with coloured cheeks.

Sirius sighed and pulled her to his side, with his available arm.

"**No," said Harry, getting into bed. "But it doesn't do anything else either." **

**As he swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly. **

**Hermione and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labeled Skele-Gro. **

All the Quidditch fanatics all shuddered. They had to consume the foul potion at least once during their time on the team and they certainly didn't enjoy the experience.

"**You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beakerful and handing it to him. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business." **

**So was taking the Skele-Gro. It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter. Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down some water. "We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face… he looked ready to kill…" **

"**I want to know how he fixed that Bludger," said Hermione darkly. **

"**We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Harry, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff…" **

"It also depends on the person. The brighter the colour, the purer and cleaner your soul is. The darker the colour, the darker the… well…you get my drift." Charlus explained to the teens, who nodded in understanding.

"**If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking," said Ron. **

**The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry. "Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."**

"I didn't think he would be. First game and his already failed at catching the Snitch and is probably embarrassed. Good brooms or not, it's also about the skill of the player. His pride is a little hurt, so people are probably going to hear about his whinging." Lucius revealed.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

**They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party **

"Not going to happen." The teens said simultaneously, causing the elders to be amused.

**when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting,**

All the teens winced.

"**This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!" And Harry was left alone, with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm. **

"She's too strict with the rules. Sometimes those grey walls could do more damage to the psych the anything else. Times like these, you need your friends near your to keep you sane rather than boxed in a room, over analysing things." Luna said airily.

Those who had spent time in the hospital wing agreed with her, sometimes it was better to have at least one person there to talk to keep your mind occupied instead of thinking about being trapped in a box.

**Hours and hours later, Harry woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain: His arm now felt full of large splinters. For a second, he thought that was what had woken him. Then, with a thrill of horror, he realized that someone was sponging his forehead in the dark. **

Everyone's eyes went wide.

"**Get off!" he said loudly, and then, "Dobby!"**

"Dobby!" Everyone gasped.

"Of course, he's trying _to 'Save Harry'_." Lucius said in realization.

"I'm sure he means well but if he keeps on trying to save Harry, he's only going to cause more harm than good." Alice sighed.

**The house-elf's goggling tennis ball eyes were peering at Harry through the darkness. A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose. **

All the females coo'ed.

"Honestly? I don't think Dobby sees himself as a Malfoy elf. I think he sees himself bound to Harry. Like Harry is his master." Regulus summerised.

"I think you may be right. Dobby respected Harry with every ounce of his being and vice versa. If the opportunity did come up, I honestly think they would have bound to each other." Hermione replied.

Lucius looked at Narcissa who caught on his train of thought and nodded with a soft smile. Clearing his throat, "James, Lily; I was just thinking, only if it's alright with you, when Harry is born, that it would only be right if I offer Dobby to you as part of your family. As Regulus said, it seems they are bound to each other, maybe not officially but I would prefer that he be with someone who cares for him."

Lily and James smiled and nodded in agreement. Lily went a little step further and gave Lucius a hug, causing everyone to laugh at their awkward hug.

"**Harry Potter came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Harry Potter. Ah sir, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when he missed the train?" **

**Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and pushed Dobby's sponge away. **

"**What're you doing here?" he said. "And how did you know I missed the train?" **

**Dobby's lip trembled and Harry was seized by a sudden suspicion. **

"**It was you!" he said slowly. "You stopped the barrier from letting us through!" **

"**Indeed yes, sir," said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterward" — he showed Harry ten long, bandaged fingers — "but Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!" **

"Oh Dobby." Lily said sadly. "He honestly truly cares for Harry."

**He was rocking backward and forward, shaking his ugly head. **

"**Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir…" **

Everyone looked in Lucius' direction in horror. Lucius had his head in his hands shaking his head in guilt.

**Harry slumped back onto his pillows. **

"**You nearly got Ron and me expelled," he said fiercely. "You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you." **

**Dobby smiled weakly. **

"**Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home." **

"What's happened to you Lucius?" Narcissa paled.

"I don't know." He mumbled.

"Voldemorts happened." Moody growled. "The dark mark is filled with dark magic. It affects the brain and fills your body full of hate and turns you in to someone dark and evil."

Hermione and Luna nodded. They had suspected it was true. Lucius said it was like a heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders when Voldemort died.

**He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Harry felt his anger ebb away in spite of himself. **

"**Why d'you wear that thing, Dobby?" he asked curiously. **

"**This, sir?" said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. "'Tis a mark of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever."**

**Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make —" **

"**Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean, your Bludger? You made that Bludger try and kill me?" **

"**Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!" **

"**Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?" **

"**Ah, if Harry Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, sir! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, sir," **

"That's absolutely barbaric." Lily gasped. "Don't they get holidays, sick leave and wages?"

"Lily, I know how you feel and I felt the same way at the beginning." Hermione said calmly. "It was during my sixth year did I finally understand it all. I was all for paying them, holidays and all that but House-elves need to be bound to a family, it is part of who they are. If not it is a detriment to their health and enable for them to keep control of their magic."

"I'm sure, if you had any questions, Juno would be happy to answer them." Albus twinkled, at the girls.

Lily took a deep breath and nodded.

Luna smiled softly at friend, proud that she finally saw the light.

**he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase. "But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the Dark days would never end, sit… And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more." **

"Great more information to gauge his curiosity and put himself in more danger." Dorea moaned.

**Dobby froze, horrorstruck, then grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight.**

Some of the girls gasped in horror.

"I hope he's okay." Alice said worriedly.

Unbeknownst to herself, Hermione had tears forming in her eyes during the conversation between Harry and Dobby. Sirius gave her waist a little squeeze in comfort, to let her know he was there if needed. Luna took Valentina off his hands to burp the babe, while he comforted her friend.

**A second later, he crawled back onto the bed, cross-eyed, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby…" **

"**So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Harry whispered. "And did you say it's been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!" **

**He seized the elf's bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched toward the water jug. "But I'm not Muggle-born — how can I be in danger from the Chamber?" **

"**Ah, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter must not be here when they happen — go home, Harry Potter, go home. Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir, 'tis too dangerous —" **

"**Who is it, Dobby?" Harry said, keeping a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him from hitting himself with the water jug again. **

Everyone smiled softly at that. The bond was already beginning.

"**Who's opened it? Who opened it last time?" **

"**Dobby can't, sir, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" squealed the elf. "Go home, Harry Potter, go home!"**

"**I'm not going anywhere!" said Harry fiercely. "One of my best friends is Muggle-born; she'll be first in line if the Chamber really has been opened —" **

Hermione gave a little sniffle and laughed. "Noble git. He's meant to be the little brother but he acts like his older than me. Doesn't care about himself but has to save the world, even if it's to risk to his own life."

Everyone sighed at the reminder of how much the people of the future had suffered.

"**Harry Potter risks his own life for his friends!" moaned Dobby in a kind of miserable ecstasy. "So noble! So valiant! But he must save himself, he must, Harry Potter must not —" **

**Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Harry heard it, too. There were footsteps coming down the passageway outside. **

"**Dobby must go!" breathed the elf, terrified. There was a loud crack, and Harry's fist was suddenly clenched on thin air. **

"I thought you couldn't apparate in Hogwarts?" Lily asked confusedly.

"You can't but house-elf magic is unique." Albus replied.

**He slumped back into bed, his eyes on the dark doorway to the hospital wing as the footsteps drew nearer. **

**Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long woolly dressing gown and a nightcap.**

"Really sir?" James commented, making the others snicker.

Albus just twinkled in amusement.

**He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue. Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed. **

Everyone gasped, including Albus and Moody.

"The first muggleborn attack." Henry whispered.

Everyone instantly turned to Hermione.

Hermione felt Sirius tense up and stared down at her worriedly. "I was in my dorm, I'm okay." She smiled sadly from Sirius' side. He relaxed his grip slightly and kissed the crown on her head. Hermione flinched but blushed lightly at the all-knowing looks she was getting from Narcissa, her 'parents' and 'brother'. Narcissa made a mental note to speak to her later tonight.

"**Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry's bed out of sight. Harry lay quite still, pretending to be asleep. He heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress. He heard a sharp intake of breath. **

"**What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.**

"**Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."**

"I must have been doing patrols." Minerva said voice trembling.

"**There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter." **

Everyone gasped in realization. "COLIN!"

Hermione and Luna nodded with sad smiles.

"What was he doing with grapes?" Remus asked in puzzlement.

"He was bringing it up to Harry. He didn't think Harry had anything to eat since before the match and thought he'd like a snack." Luna explained.

"That was nice of him." Dorea smiled softly.

**Harry's stomach gave a horrible lurch. Slowly and carefully, he raised himself a few inches so he could look at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face. **

**It was Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera. **

"**Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey. **

Everyone breathed a little easier at the confirmation. Only petrified, he could be revived.

"**Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think… If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate — who knows what might have —" **

Everyone looked at the headmaster in amusement, while he chuckled.

"A headmaster has his secrets. Unfortunately, one of mine has now been revealed. I'm quite partial to mid-night Hot Chocolate cravings. In order to clear my head I like to stretch my legs and head down to the kitchens for a mug, during most nights." Albus twinkled as he explained his actions.

**The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip. **

"**You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.**

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**Dumbledore didn't answer. He opened the back of the camera. **

"**Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey. **

**A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic. **

Everyone gasped in horror.

"**Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly. "All melted…" **

"**What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently. **

"**It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again." **

All the elders looked at Albus fearfully. Albus' twinkle had disappeared and with his jaw clenched he scribbled his notes.

**Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore. **

"**But, Albus… surely… who?" **

"**The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how…"**

"I'm sorry." Lucius mumbled in to his hands. "It's my fault. I don't know how I'm doing this and I'm sure it's something to do with me. I just know it."

"Don't think on it Lucius. The best of us has been hoodwinked by this person and you aren't the first person." Albus assured the young man.

Everyone looked at Albus in confusion.

"If what I'm thinking is correct, all will be revealed by the end of the book."

Hermione and Luna nodded in confirmation.

**And from what Harry could see of Professor McGonagall's shadowy face, she didn't understand this any better than he did.**

"That was the end of that chapter." Augusta said as she handed the book over to Dorea.

"How about five minute break and one more chapter and we'll turn in? The book should be finished tomorrow and then we can start on the next book." Hermione asked.

Everyone nodded and murmured they're agreements.

Hermione smiled softly and grabbed Valentina and went to grab the baby bag Sirius grabbed it first "I want to help." was his reply as they headed towards the breathing room.


	14. Chapter 11 - The Dueling Club

**A/N:** Yay 2nd Chapter of the night. Don't forget, if you can read French, **Marine76** is started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1" with credits to me. If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

Anyway, Enjoy and happy reading! and Don't forget to review!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 11 ****- ****The Dueling Club**

_**Breathing Room…**_

Reaching the door, Hermione asked for a baby changing room. When they entered, Sirius was in awe of the new room, it had everything they needed. It had a sink, loveseat, change table, a bin and a bookshelf by a small fireplace.

Hermione giggled at his expression and headed towards the change table. "Come daddy, lets teach you how to change a nappy."

Sirius nodded eagerly and followed her over to the changing table.

"Okay, first things first, we need to get out the nappy, wipes, lotion and powder. Then make sure our hands are nice and clean."

Sirius quickly washed then dried his hands and pull out the required items.

"First you will obviously need to remove the bottom half of her clothing so you can get to the nappy."

"That sounds easy." He said as he started removing her tights.

"Okay, now you will need to unfasten the tabs on the side of the nappy and fold them back onto themselves to they don't stick to her but don't remove the nappy yet, otherwise we may have a little accident on our hands."

She giggles at Sirius' horrified face but he did as he was told.

"Now you need to open the top half of the nappy slowly and clean away any poop or wee, using the wipes. You are supposed to wipe top to bottom to prevent any infection and ensure she is clean all over. When you've done that, you need to fold the nappy by tucking the top flap under her bottom."

Sirius' cheeks coloured slightly but did as he was told. He struggled a bit when Valentina kept kicking her legs but finally managed to get her clean with Hermione's approval.

"Here's the tricky bit. We need to replace the old nappy with the new one, so I suggest opening up the new nappy first to get it ready. When you've done that, you'll have to lift her bottom by her legs and pull out the old nappy from under her and place in the new one."

Sirius looked nervous and struggled with lifting the legs but after a few tries he was able to slide out the nappy and replace it with the new one.

"Almost done." She smiled encouragingly. "Now, you'll have to apply the baby lotion and the powder because she's very prone to nappy rashes. Don't put too much but just enough to apply it on the area. Then you can close up the tabs on the sides to secure it in place. Then you can fold the old nappy into itself using the tabs to hold it together and bin it."

Nervously he applied the lotion but squeezed the powder too hard and covered his whole face with it much to her and Valentina's amusement. Finally he secured the nappy and threw out the old and washed his hands and face.

"Well done daddy. You've just changed your first nappy." She giggled. "I'll show you how to bath her next."

Sirius looked fearful at the mention of bath time. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet but I'll try."

"It's okay. I'll be there with you to show you until you feel confident to do it on your own." She smiled softly as she picked up the baby. "Come, we better head back so we can finish reading for the night."

Sirius nodded and followed in a daze.

"Guess what everyone? Sirius just changed his first nappy!" Hermione commented as soon as the door opened.

Everyone cheered. Valentina joined with the noise by gurgling and drooling, as she was placed in her rocker.

Sirius' cheeks coloured, receiving congratulations and pats on the back from everyone. He didn't think it was just a big thing. It's just changing a nappy right?

Seeing the confused look, Dorea smiled. "It's a big step being a father Sirius, you should take in every milestone, and every little thing you see and learn. Before you know it, they'll be off to school and they won't be that tiny little baby anymore. Every day is a new adventure and every day you'll learn something new."

"Thanks Mama P. I will." He smiled and headed to his seat beside Hermione.

"Padfoot, I think you missed something." James snickered, pointing to the left side of Sirius' hair. He scowled as the others too snickered at his brand new powdery highlights. With a flick of his wand he was once again clean.

Dorea shook her head with a fond smile and read the next chapter title "_**Chapter Eleven – The Dueling Club**_."

"AWESOME!" Cheered the Marauders, Frank and Regulus. Lucius and Severus looked excited but wouldn't demean themselves to such a manor.

"Sir, why don't we have dueling clubs anymore? They would be very useful in the upcoming war." Frank questioned.

"We did at one point but the staff had gotten busy over the years, we couldn't find any teachers to host or supervise the groups." Albus replied. "I'll make a suggestion in our next staff meeting."

"It would have been nice to have some friendly competition and learn something from a professional." Alice sulked.

"I wonder who's hosting it." Lily pondered. "I hope it's Professor Flitwick. He was a dueling champion in his younger days. It would be great to see him in action."

"Let's just hope it's not Lockhart." Severus muttered.

Luna and Hermione shifted nervously.

**Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory blazing with winter sunlight and his arm reboned but very stiff.**

"I hate it when that happens." Remus grumbled. After consuming Skele-Gro for many years (because of his furry little problem) he never liked the after effects whenever he severely damaged a bone in his body.

**He sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday.**

"Most likely to show him some respect. I wouldn't want to be gawked at either, once people found out." Amelia commented.

Everyone hummed their agreements.

**Seeing that he was awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with a breakfast tray and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers. **

"**All in order," she said as he clumsily fed himself porridge left-handed. "When you've finished eating, you may leave." **

**Harry dressed as quickly as he could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there. Harry left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to and feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether he had his bones back or not.**

"We cared, don't get me wrong." Hermione defended herself. "We heard about Colin and I was determined to get a start on the potion. I knew he'd be fine in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey likes to fuss."

**As Harry passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met. **

"**Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup — you earned fifty points!" **

"Excellent. Maybe they'll have a chance at the house cup." James grinned rubbing his hands together.

His friends all rolled their eyes are his Quidditch obsession.

"**You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry. **

"**No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet…" **

"Ah that's how he found us." Hermione smiled as everyone laughed.

**Harry forced a laugh, watched Percy walk out of sight, and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He couldn't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again, but after making sure that neither Filch nor any prefects were around, he opened the door and heard their voices coming from a locked stall.**

"Locked stall aye." Alice said waggling her eyebrows causing everyone to laugh.

"Yuk." Hermione said looking like she was going to be sick, gaining even more laughter.

"**It's me," he said, closing the door behind him. There was a clunk, a splash, and a gasp from within the stall and he saw Hermione's eye peering through the keyhole. **

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Luna and Hermione shouted startling everyone. They all scowled at the two girls as Moody barked out in laughter. He really liked these girls and gave them a nod of approval.

"**Harry!" she said. "You gave us such a fright — come in. How's your arm?" **

"See!" Hermione pouted, as the others laughed at her childishness. Valentina joined in the laugher with her giggles

"**Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the stall. An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told Harry they had lit a fire beneath it. Conjuring up portable, waterproof fires was a speciality of Hermione's. **

Hermione flushed when Severus mock glared at her as the others snickered at the reminder.

"**We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained as Harry, with difficulty, locked the stall again.**

"Wow, you three must have been tiny." Regulus commented and chuckled, when Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"**We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."**

Moody grunted his approval.

**Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted. **

"**We already know — we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going —" **

The elders shared worried looks.

"**The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin." **

All the teens rolled their eyes at that. Alice glared at her relative in irritation.

"**There's something else," said Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night." **

**Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him — or hadn't told him. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open. **

"I couldn't help it. As you can now see, he is very observant and notices the minor details. It was like we were in the room with him." Hermione explained.

"**The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said. **

"**This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious.**

"I wasn't even born yet the last time it was open, nor have I ever been expelled." Lucius scowled.

"He's right. If it was a Malfoy, it would have been so heavily publicized and reported, that everyone would have known about it." Sirius added.

Alice gave him an apologetic smile. Narcissa smiled at her cousin and gripped Lucius' hand in hers in support.

**Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school." **

Dorea shifted anxiously in her seat and knew she couldn't reveal the creature yet. That and she had hoped the longer she puts it off the easier it would be to tell herself that it did not exist

"**Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself — pretend to be a suit of armor or something — I've read about Chameleon Ghouls —" **

"You might be right but they don't have the ability to petrify." Remus commented.

"**You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, **

"It's better than being clueless and going through life blindly." Alice sneered. She may not be a bookworm but always made an effort to learn something new on a regular basis and be well read in subjects that interested her.

**pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Harry. **

"**So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you." **

Alice's eyes went wide at the similar thought between herself and Ron.

**The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning.**

"There's no secrets ad Hogwarts." Some of the teens said simultaneously.

"Are you sure?" Luna and Hermione said with mysterious grins, making others moan.

**The air was suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone. **

Once again Moody grunted his approval.

"Oh, those poor little darlings must be so scared." Lily cooed.

**Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues.**

"That's just their way of coping." Sirius mumbled softly.

"Just like you," Hermione whispered back, giving his knee a pat.

James and Remus looked at Sirius worried but he gave them a subtle nod letting them know he was okay.

**They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares. **

**Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school.**

Minerva and Albus frowned. _How did they miss this? They seem to be missing a lot of things in the future._

**Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail **

"He's pureblood." Severus pointed out.

"I think he was just scared and because of his low self-esteem he saw himself as a near squib. It takes Neville until his fifth year for him to come out of his shell." Luna replied.

The Longbottoms and Alice shared the exact same thought. _What happened? Why did Neville doubt himself so much?_

**before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pure-blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.**

"**They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."**

Alice sighed and leaned her head on Frank's shoulder as he squeezed hers in understanding.

**In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, and Hermione signed her list;**

"Didn't your parents ask why you didn't want to spend Christmas with them?" Augusta asked.

"Not really, they knew I wanted to experience a Hogwarts Christmas. They were traveling abroad for work and didn't want me to spend most of my time reading in a hotel room alone." Hermione replied.

Only Luna, Narcissa, her family and the Marauders; heard the under lining meaning. She didn't want to tell them that she and her parents had started drifting away the summer after her second year. They didn't understand magic or the world she had grown to love. They had started to slowly distance themselves from her, without any of noticing at the beginning. They still loved and supported her but they just didn't have many common interests anymore, which caused them to drift apart.

**they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious. **

Narcissa became worried.

"You and Lucius were going on a holiday to Australia to escape the cold. You were visiting the Hamilton Islands with Astra and her husband at the time." Hermione assured her cousin, seeing her worrying her lip.

"Husband at the time?" Lucius asked curiously.

"Ah." Hermione kicking herself, for the slip up. "Astra had a reputation for marrying men who would suddenly die or mysteriously go missing."

All the females gasped.

"A Femme Fatale." Moody grunted.

Hermione nodded. "People called her the Black Widow. Blaise was never told the full story but he told me what he knew. One night, he overhead his grandparents talking. Astra's second husband was a gentleman that an African Witch Doctor had fallen in love with. Because of her jealousy, she cursed Astra. Curse breakers were brought in and unfortunately no one was able to undo the curse. She had hoped with time it would wear off, unfortunately it did not. She told Narcissa that she felt bad and was scared to fall in love in case it was someone she really cared about."

"Poor Astra." Narcissa's heart broke for her friend.

**The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him. **

Although disappointed in their methods, the elders were very impressed.

**Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Harry privately felt he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch him robbing his office. **

"Me too." The teens all said, while Severus smirked.

"**What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."**

**Harry and Ron looked at her nervously. **

"**I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so." **

Everyone looked at her in shock. The Marauders, Charlus and Moody beamed proudly, while Hermione blushed.

"Not you too. You're both are meant to be the good ones." Lily groaned.

"Who said we were the good ones? We just think more logically." Remus smirked.

"All these boys are bad influences on you." Dorea smiling fondly.

"No we're not, we make her let loose and have fun." James grinned.

"It's all part of the plan. Who's going to suspect the innocent little bookworm? It's always the person you least expect." Hermione smirked.

"It's so Slytherin, I like it!" Alice and Narcissa said looking at each other in shock, while everyone laughed.

**Harry smiled feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.**

"Hey that's almost the same as the school motto." Alice cheered, trying to think positive. The others just chuckled in amusement at the exuberant girl.

**Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively. Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favorite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry, who knew that if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say "Unfair." **

Severus clenched his fists at _Snapes_ actions.

**Harry's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but he had his mind on more important things. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion. When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded. **

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand.**

"Uh oh." Alice muttered.

**The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron. **

Almost everyone winced knowing what the outcome would be.

**Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate — **

This caused a few snickers.

**Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Harry saw Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.**

Moody nodded his approval.

"**Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft — when I find out who did this —" **

**Harry tried not to laugh as he watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of a nose like a small melon.**

There was all out laughter in the room now. Even Albus and Lucius joined in the laughter.

**As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips,**

Hermione giggled. "That was Pansy Parkinson. I was hoping that she'd be stuck with those lips, so we'd have some peace and quiet for a few days." Luna however snorted in laughter, gaining amused looks from the others.

**Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.**

"It would have been noticeable because he knew what to look for. To others however, they probably wouldn't have noticed." Henry chuckled.

**When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush. **

"**If**** I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled." **

"I doubt an expulsion was required. A few weeks detention and docked points should suffice." Albus assured.

**Harry arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression.**

"Wouldn't have worked, Harry's too innocent. On the bright side Snape has no proof that it was him." Luna smirked.

**Snape was looking right at him, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome. **

"**He knew it was me," Harry told Ron and Hermione as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell." **

**Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly. **

"**It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily. **

"Excellent." Sirius rubbed his hands eagerly, with an evil grin. All the teens bar the Marauders gave him a strange look, while Minerva appeared to have a migraine.

"**Snape can't prove it was you," said Ron reassuringly to Harry. "What can he do?" **

"**Knowing Snape, something foul," said Harry as the potion frothed and bubbled. **

Dorea and Moody nodded. The Potion was coming along nicely. All the teens grimaced, they weren't looking forward to tasting it at all.

**A week later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.**

"Ah Dueling Club announcements." Alice bounced excitedly. All her friends shook their heads in amusement.

"**They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…" **

All the teens, Henry and Charlus nodded in agreement, while Moody grunted.

'_It did_.' Thought the two time travelers; the disarming spell helped Harry on more than one occasion and will continue to do so in the future.

"**What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest. **

"**Could be useful," he said to Harry and Hermione as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?" **

"Need he ask?" Regulus chuckled. "It's a great opportunity to learn something new."

**Harry and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.**

"I don't blame them." Remus said as all the teens leaned forward eagerly. They couldn't wait until their own club was started.

"**I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young — maybe it'll be him." **

"Lily-Flower, stop copying my twinnie." James scolded but yelped, when he was smacked by a cushion.

Everyone else just rolled their eyes at the couple.

"**As long as it's not —" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, **

All the teens and surprisingly Charlus, Minerva and Henry groaned.

**resplendent in robes of deep plum **

Everyone pulled a face at the mention of the robes. Albus just chuckled fingering his lilac robes, he loved the colour purple and had robes of every shade; especially plum.

**and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.**

Severus grabbed a cushion and started head butting it while Luna rubbed his back in comfort.

"Think positive Sev, you get to kick the ponces butt without consequence." Regulus joked, making everyone laugh. Severus gave him a little nod, as all the teens gave him sad smiles. He truly has changed and they all think most of it was because of Luna.

**Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!**

"**Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works. **

A few people an eyebrow at that. _He can't be serious can he?_

"**Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile.**

"Assistant?" Frank grinned. "This is going to be good. Knowing _Snape_, he wouldn't be too impressed by that announcement."

All the teens grinned evilly and nodded. Even Severus and Lucius had their signature smirks.

"**He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin.**

"A little?" Lucius scoffed. "He knows a lot more than you do, you can't even hold your wand straight."

**Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry — you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" **

A few people scoffed. Severus smirked internally; he may dislike his book self but he couldn't wait to see what _Snape_ would do to Lockhart.

"**Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear. **

The teens laughed at this, surprisingly even Charlus, Henry and Minerva joined in.

**Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. **

"I wouldn't blame him." Sirius murmured to Hermione who giggled softly.

Everyone else looked at Severus who tried to look impassive, but they could tell the corners of his lips were twitching.

**Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, **

Moody snorted.

**whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them. **

"**As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." **

"Too bad." Amelia sighed softly. Those who heard snorted.

"**I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth. **

"**One — two — three —" **

**Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. **

More than a few people cheered. Even Minerva had a big massive grin on her face. Severus was High-fived or patted on the back by the male teens. Hearing the cheers, Valentina let of a little gurgle in her own celebration. Hermione smiled and conjured her usual blanket and gave her a feed before the babe was to turn in for the night.

**Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers. **

Hermione blushed as everyone looked at her incredulously.

"Who cares?" The teens chorused.

"**Who cares?" said Harry and Ron together.**

Laughs were shared at saying the same things as the boys.

**Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end. **

More laughter was heard.

"**Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…" **

Once again there were scoffs from around the room.

**Snape was looking murderous. **

The Marauders shuddered, they too have been on the end of Severus' temper and they did not envy Lockhart.

**Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! **

Once again Severus was patted on the shoulder from his peers and given the thumbs up by James. Dorea and Augusta were very amused.

**I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me —" **

**They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first. **

"**Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered.**

There were sighs around the room now. _Not Good._ Was a common thought in this group.

"**Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter —" **

**Harry moved automatically toward Hermione. **

"Not going to work pup." Sirius said shaking his head.

"**I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter.**

The few people who was now used to _Snapes_ behavior rolled their eyes.

**And you, Miss Granger — you can partner Miss Bulstrode." **

Everyone winced and looked at their daughter/friend worriedly; Hermione however, rubbed her neck subconsciously with her free hand. Sirius, James and Narcissa frowned.

**Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags.**

Luna giggled. "That's an understatement."

**She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively.**

"Sounds just like her father." Lucius scoffed, making people laugh.

**Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return.**

"Why you bother Mia, she wasn't a very pleasant person." Luna commented.

"Had to try didn't I?" she replied.

"**Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!" **

**Harry and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.**

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Hermione and Luna yelled, even Narcissa joined in with a cheeky grin. This made everyone laugh.

Once again Moody grunted his approval.

"**Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one… two… three —" **

Minerva raised an eyebrow at that.

**Harry swung his wand high, but Malfoy had already started on "two":**

"I don't know what you expected, it's Harry and Draco. In the real world you wouldn't get a warning. You'd be horrified at what normally happens at real ones." Henry commented. "Let's just be glad this is under supervised circumstances, even if it's with Lockhart."

**spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan.**

Lily growled. "I'm sure Petunia for that. I don't even know how what he deserved a saucepan in the head for. No child should."

James' eyes darkened at the reminder.

**He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "**_**Rictusempra!**_**" **

**A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing. **

This made Lucius sighed. Draco will need to be taught respect, proper training and discipline. It's going to be a long hard road.

"**I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd,**

Minerva rolled her eyes. "He can't be serious? He is currently in a room with wand happy teenagers. They aren't going to listen to him or know what to do after one demonstration." She shook her head.

**as Malfoy sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Harry hung back, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor,**

"That's very honorable of him. Yes it is unsporting but I don't think Draco would feel the same if he was the one on the ground. In a real duel, that could get him killed."

**but this was a mistake; gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked, "**_**Tarantallegra**_**!" and the next second Harry's legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep. **

"**Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge. "Finite Incantatem!" he shouted;**

**Harry's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were able to look up. **

"Thank Merlin! Someone with a brain is finally taking charge." Amelia said shaking her head.

**A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done;**

The elders shook their heads in wonder. What had in the name of Merlin, made Albus hire this incompetent idiot, as the DADA professor?

**but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain;**

Hermione winced at the reminder, while everyone else began to worry.

**both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. **

"What were your wands doing on the floor?" Moody growled.

"I disarmed her and she wasn't impressed. Next thing I knew she came at me and bent my arm back threw my wand on the floor, and then pulled me in to a tight headlock. Due to her size, I didn't even get a chance to curse at her if I could." she shrugged, as she cradled Valentina who had drifted off to sleep.

Moody nodded.

"How can you not notice when a bunch of second years become physically violent?" Charlus growled in defense of his daughter.

Sirius nodded and pulled her to his side in protection. Hermione rolled her eyes. "This was years ago Papa, besides its Lockhart and Snape, was only the '_Assistant'_. Something like this was bound to happen." Sirius sighed and relaxed his grip but he was not happy.

**Harry leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult: She was a lot bigger than he was.**

"Thanks Harry." Hermione smiled.

Everyone smiled at Harry and his loyalty to his friends.

"**Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels.**

"**Up you go, Macmillan…"**

"**Careful there, Miss Fawcett… Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second," **

"**I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.**

"You think?" Charlus said sarcastically.

Once again Albus was on the receiving end of the glares from the female elders.

**He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away.**

"Hmmm… Snape must be in on what Dumbledore has planned." Frank said in realization. "Any other teacher would have stepped up and taken over. Although, it seems Snape is purposely letting Lockhart make a fool of himself, to prove how much of a fraud he is."

"You may be right." Henry nodded. Albus and Moody too were in agreement. Minerva still glared at Albus who was shifted in his seat awkwardly.

"**Let's have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you —" **

"**A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker.**

"LEAVE NEVILLE/MY SON ALONE!" All the teens yelled.

"**How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile. **

"Of course." Severus sneered. Luna squeezed his hand trying to relax him.

"**Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room. **

Hermione and Luna shared a worried look but remained silent.

"**Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." **

**He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. **

All the teens, Charlus and Henry face palmed.

**Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops— my wand is a little overexcited—" **

Remus who was taking a sip of water choked, making everyone laugh at the double entendre.

**Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.**

All the Slytherins looked at Severus suspiciously. Severus held his hands up in defense.

**Malfoy smirked, too. Harry looked up nervously at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?" **

"Harry would have been safer ignoring his advice altogether." Lucius shook his head.

No one disagreed with him.

"**Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him. **

"**You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth. **

**Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"**

"What, drop his wand?" Regulus snorted.

"**What, drop my wand?" **

Everyone laughed at this whilst Regulus got up and did a little bow.

**But Lockhart wasn't listening.**

"And he's the teacher in charge? Goes to show how attentive he is." Henry snorted.

"**Three — two — one — go!" he shouted.**

**Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "**_**Serpensortia**_**!" **

Those who knew the spell growled, while others were confused.

**The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike.**

The previously confused now joined the others sending dark glares at the book. If '_Snape'_ was in the room, he definitely would have been cursed to the moon and back.

**There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. **

"**Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it…" **

"Queue, Lockhart." Remus sneered, knowing how predictable Lockhart was.

"**Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack.**

"Great, he just royally pissed off a poisonous snake." Narcissa hissed.

**Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. **

**Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it.**

Lily gasped. "Oh no, remember the first book? When he went to the zoo. Harry's going to speak Parseltongue. He doesn't know he can speak to snakes."

Everyone groaned.

"Not good. This is going to backlash and only make things worse. They already think his the heir of Slytherin. This will only make him seem darker and much more dangerous." Lucius rubbed his face in exhaustion.

Hermione and Luna nodded in confirmation. It was exactly what had happened and this did make any of the others feel any better.

**All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" And miraculously — inexplicably — the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. **

"How did Harry not realize he was speaking Parseltongue? Wouldn't it have some sort of accent when he speaks it?" Amelia asked

"Harry said he didn't know, he could spoke another language. It sounded like English to him. He thought it was normal being able to speak to snakes, being new to the magical world, he didn't realise it was considered evil. It wasn't brought to his attention until this incident." Luna replied.

**Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn't have explained. **

Severus bowed his head guiltily. This was all because of _Snape_, if it wasn't for him Draco wouldn't have conjured the snake and Harry wouldn't have had to expose himself like this. Seeing his mood change Luna nudged him and whispered, "It's not your fault."

**He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful — but certainly not angry and scared. **

"**What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. **

"No offence to Harry, but I don't blame Justin. If I was in his position I'd probably scared and lash out as well." Alice murmured.

**Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it. **

"_Snape_, was probably confused like everyone else, and contemplating whether to report it to Dumbledore or let it be." Regulus explained.

Severus nodded in confirmation

**He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes. **

"**Come on," said Ron's voice in his ear. "Move — come on —" **

"Good, get him out of there and explain what happened, before the rumours start. Harry is probably just as scared and confused as Justin is." Augusta said approvingly.

**Ron steered him out of the hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something.**

The Potters and Lily scowled at this.

**Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room.**

"We wanted to get him some where safe and quiet, so we could talk. The walls have ears in that castle and we don't want to be overheard." Hermione explained. "I didn't say anything because there were so many questions and theories going on in my head I was so confused, I needed a moment to think and gather my thoughts."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

**Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"**

"**I'm a what?" said Harry. **

"**A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!" **

"I know this is serious but how cool is that? I mean how awesome would it be to be able to speak to snakes. I know it'd be the last thing on my mind was to tell anyone." James whispered to Lily who nodded.

"**I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once — long story — but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard —" **

"That was pretty cool. You've got to admit." Sirius whispered to Hermione who smiled in agreement.

"**A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly. **

"**So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it." **

"**Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad." **

"**What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin —" **

"**Oh, that's what you said to it?"**

"I certainly hope he didn't think Harry would sic a snake on an innocent person. Harry just met Justin and could have been another potential friend." Lily said pointedly.

"It's Ron, he doesn't think before he jumps sometimes. He means well but sometimes his mouth opens faster than he thinks." Luna replied.

"**What d'you mean? You were there — you heard me —" **

"**I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything — no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something — it was creepy, you know —"**

"He makes it sound like Harrys got an incurable disease." Augusta said darkly.

**Harry gaped at him. **

"**I spoke a different language? But — I didn't realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?" **

Everyone turned to look at the time travellers.

"We can't tell you. The reason why is linked to all the books." Luna replied.

Every single person sighed in frustration.

**Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible. **

"**D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?" **

"**It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." **

**Harry's mouth fell open. **

"This is why we need a proper History of Magic teacher, we don't learn anything. All Binns talks about is goblin rebellions and even then not everything is accurate, history has changed since then and he only remembers things up until the time he died." Frank sighed.

Minerva looked to Albus who nodded in understanding.

"**Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something —"**

"**But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain. **

"**You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be." **

"We're not related to the Slytherin line, there may have been some marriages over time but nothing too deep. Although, I believe, they too are the descendants of the Peverells." Charlus confirmed.

Albus and Lucius looked thoughtful and made a note of this for future reference.

**Harry lay awake for hours that night. Through a gap in the curtains around his four-poster he watched snow starting to drift past the tower window and wondered… **

**Could he be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin? He didn't know anything about his father's family, after all. The**

The Potters and Lily bowed their heads sadly. This wasn't right; Harry should be able to know about his family tree.

"Harry found the family tree at Potter Manor after the war and was able to restore it and learn about his ancestry from the books in the library." Hermione replied.

The Potters and Lily smiled sadly in thanks.

**Dursleys had always forbidden questions about his wizarding relatives. **

Once again, glares were sent at the book.

**Quietly, Harry tried to say something in Parseltongue. The words wouldn't come. It seemed he had to be face-to-face with a snake to do it.**

"No he just needed practice. He was forcing himself too much that he was getting himself worked up." Hermione explained.

**But I'm in Gryffindor, Harry thought. The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put me in here if I had Slytherin blood… **

**Ah, said a nasty little voice in his brain, but the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don't you remember? **

**Harry turned over. He'd see Justin the next day in Herbology and he'd explain that he'd been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (he thought angrily, pummeling his pillow) any fool should have realized. **

"I think he should just give Justin time to breathe and calm down. If he was to confront Justin so soon, it would only make him look guilty and will only give people more to talk about." Alice commented.

Everyone agreed with her.

**By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was canceled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey. **

Alice bounced in her seat excitedly. She loved herbology and the study of mandrakes was always interesting.

**Harry fretted about this next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Hermione used their time off to play a game of wizard chess. **

"**For heaven's sake, Harry," said Hermione, exasperated, as one of Ron's bishops wrestled her knight off his horse and dragged him off the board. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."**

Everyone gave her a look.

"I couldn't help it. He was hovering, pacing and broading. When Harry has something in his head, he'd stew on it and would let the rest of us breathe in peace until he does something." She grimaced.

"Sounds like his father and grandfather." Dorea joked, making the Potter males pout, causing everyone to laugh.

"Mia, one of you should have gone with him." said Luna. Hermione nodded looking down at her daughters blanket guiltily. Sirius sighed and squeezed her waist in understanding.

**So Harry got up and left through the portrait hole, wondering where Justin might be. **

**The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling gray snow at every window. Shivering, Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within.**

"He makes things sound so ominous." Amelia shivered.

**Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger.**

Hermione and Luna burst out laughing.

"That was Cedric Diggory. Peter Stebbins had waved his wand a bit too enthusiastically and instead of transfiguring his cushion, he changed Cedric in to a badger."

This made everyone laugh.

**Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry walked on by, thinking that Justin might be using his free time to catch up on some work, and deciding to check the library first.**

**A group of the Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working. Between the long lines of high bookshelves, Harry could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. **

"Ah, the rumours are stirring." Alice shook her head.

**He couldn't see whether Justin was among them. He was walking toward them when something of what they were saying met his ears, and he paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section. **

"That's a bit ironic." Lucius chuckled.

"**So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?" **

"What an idiot." Regulus shook his head.

"**You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously. **

"**Hannah," said the stout boy solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." **

**There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know — Creevey's been attacked." **

"I don't like this kid. He sounds like Lockhart." Sirius muttered angrily.

"Ernie isn't too bad. Comes off a little arrogant at first but once you get to know him, his a good guy." Luna defended her DA friend.

Alice meanwhile was ashamed of her own house. They were the house of the loyal, how did they become so gullible and listen to rumours and Chinese whispers? What had become of her old house?

"**He always seems so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "and, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be all bad, can he?"**

"I like her. It's nice to know Harry does have some decent friends from other houses." Lily smiled.

Luna and Hermione smiled.

"What do you think of her Mother, Father, Frank and Alice?" Luna asked dreamily

"She sounds nice, a true Hufflepuff." Alice smiled. The Longbottoms all nodded.

"Why do you ask?" She asked a little confused.

"Hannah just so happens to be Neville's girlfriend." Hermione explained.

Frank and Henry high-fived, while Alice and all the other females cooed.

"I'm glad his chosen well. She sounds like a lovely girl." Augusta beamed.

"She is and she's very intelligent. Just lacks a little confidence but she's a great person." Luna smiled.

**Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously, the Hufflepuffs bent closer, and Harry edged nearer so that he could catch Ernie's words. **

"**No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that."**

"Now that's just going too far. Harry was only a baby. How many one year old dark wizards do you know?" Charlus hissed.

**He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You- Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?" **

Hisses and growls were heard around the room.

**Harry couldn't take anymore. Clearing his throat loudly, he stepped out from behind the bookshelves. If he hadn't been feeling so angry, he would have found the sight that greeted him funny: Every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been Petrified by the sight of him, and the color was draining out of Ernie's face. **

Hermione twitched slightly at the word '_petrified_' but was thankful that Sirius didn't notice.

"**Hello," said Harry. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."**

Hermione and Luna face palmed.

"Had to make a show of it didn't he?" Luna sighed. "This would have only made things worse."

**The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie. **

"**What do you want with him?" said Ernie in a quavering voice. **

"**I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Harry. **

"That's not going to help his cause." Remus said tweaking the bridge of his nose.

**Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."**

"**Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Harry. **

"**All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin." **

"Seeing something and hearing something are obviously two completely different things." Narcissa said angrily.

"**I didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!" **

"**It was a very near miss," said Ernie. "And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so —" **

"Good for you. No one cares." James growled.

"**- I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Harry fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?" **

"**I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly. **

"Has he forgotten that Mia, who happens to be his best friend, is Muggleborn? Lily, his own mother is Muggleborn? Why would he want to attack them?" Lucius sneered. "Besides, any normal human being would hate their relatives if they were treated like Harry was."

"**It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it." **

**He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook. **

**Harry blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where he was going, he was in such a fury. The result was that he walked into something very large and solid, which knocked him backward onto the floor. **

"**Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up. **

"Great! It's Hagrid. He'll know how to cheer pup up." Sirius smiled.

The Marauders and those who were friends with Hagrid nodded.

**Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands. **

"Ew." Amelia said wrinkling her nose.

Dorea subtly glanced at her daughter worriedly. She hoped nothing was going to happen to the girl she was becoming so fond of."

"**All righ', Harry?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?" **

"**Canceled," said Harry, getting up. "What're you doing in here?" **

**Hagrid held up the limp rooster.**

"**Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop." **

_That wouldn't have stopped Ginny_, thought Luna.

**He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snowflecked eyebrows.**

"**Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered —" **

**Harry couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about him. **

"**It's nothing," he said. "I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books." **

"He should have told Hagrid. Hagrid's very good with that kind of thing." Alice said sadly.

**He walked off, his mind still full of what Ernie had said about him. **

"_**Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born…" **_

"Why do I have a feeling, Justin is going to be next?" Henry pondered.

"It's because of Harrys luck. Besides, this chapter is so heavily focused on Justin, it was bound to have happened. If not Justin wouldn't have been brought up so much." Frank replied.

**Harry stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor. **

Everyone groaned.

"I think you spoke to soon dad."

"You may be right son."

**He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.**

**Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen. **

**It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's. **

Everyone gasped.

**Harry got to his feet, his breathing fast and shallow, his heart doing a kind of drumroll against his ribs. He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies.**

"That's quite a random thing to have been mentioned." Regulus muttered, once again making note of the spiders.

**The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side. **

**He could run, and no one would ever know he had been there.**

"Good. Get out of there! You don't want to be seen." Moody grunted.

**But he couldn't just leave them lying here… He had to get help… Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this? **

"This is Harry being the noble prat that he is." Hermione sighed.

**As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.**

"Oh no." All the teens groaned.

"**Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking —" **

**Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" **

All the teens face palmed.

**Crash — crash — crash — door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out.**

"I don't doubt that. Everyone was on high alert. People would definitely be rushing to the commotion." Charlus shook his head.

**For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick.**

A few people wrinkled their noses at that.

**Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet.**

"That's going a bit too far isn't it?" Severus frowned.

**Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair.**

Despite the seriousness of the situation, a few people snickered.

**She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes.**

Minerva nodded approvingly at her book self.

**No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene. **

"**Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry. **

Everyone raised an eyebrow at that.

"He had the nerve to do that in front of Minnie?" James said in shock.

"He's got guts." Remus agreed. "Blaming Harry should be the least of his worries. He's friend has been petrified for goodness sakes. Nice to see his got his priorities sorted."

"**That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply. **

**Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: **

"Oh dear." Frank grimaced.

"_**Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off' students, you think it's good fun —" **_

"**That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry. **

**Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry and Professor McGonagall alone together. **

"You didn't think Harry would do such a thing would you Professor?" Lily asked faintly.

"Never. I didn't think anyone at Harry's age or experience would have been capable of doing such a thing. I was at school when this happened last, I would have just been following school policy."

"**This way, Potter," she said. **

"**Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't —" **

"**This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly. **

**They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle. **

"**Lemon drop!" she said.**

Albus twinkled much to the amusement of everyone in the room. _Albus and his lemon drop addiction_, everyone thought.

**This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Harry couldn't fail to be amazed.**

"You do have a very fascinating office sir." Luna hummed.

"Thank you dear."

Everyone looked at the two in wonder.

**Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As he and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin. **

All the Gryffindors smiled.

"Is it always a Griffin sir?" Remus asked.

"No Hogwarts magically changes it to suit the headmaster depending on which house he came from. In the instance where the headmaster wasn't a Hogwarts attendee, it would change to the persons Animagus or Patronus form."

Everyone smiled at this new information.

**He knew now where he was being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived.**

"That's the end." Dorea said marking the page and placing the book on the table.

"I think we should all head in to bed now." said Luna. "We've had a long day and the chapters have been quite long with this book. We'll continue the rest of the book tomorrow and hopefully we can finish it by then."

Everyone wished each other a good night and started drifting off to the bedrooms. Hermione was about to walk off when Sirius stopped her and bent down to give Valentina a kiss on her forehead and gave her one on the crown of her head making her blush. He winked and strutted off after his friends.


	15. Nightmares

**A/N:** HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! *throws mini chocolate Easter eggs at everyone* Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and those who messaged. I will try and reply within the next few days but I want to focus on writing at the moment. If I miss out on anyone I'm sorry! I really do appreciate your ideas and every little advice.

I know it's only been a few days but I've been nagging myself to upload this chapter. So Surprise! It's only a short one but people keep reminding me to write this chapter and I've been wanting to write it for a while now. I already knew how I wanted it to go, it was actually finding the right time and words write.

_**Obviously, this will be from Hermione's POV, so some words had to be changed and I had to improvise slightly to accommodate the story.**_

Don't forget, if you can read French, **Marine76** is started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1" with credits to me. If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

As always. Enjoy and happy reading and Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

_Little Mia Granger was sitting on the school bench happily reading her new book. Maman and Papa, had gotten it for her birthday. The book was called, 'The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Friends'. It was one of her favourites book. Maman said if I could read through the whole book by myself she would buy me more._

"_My mummy told me that I can have a fairy party for my birthday. She says that I can have cupcakes and glitter wings and a cown and a pretty pink dress and everyone in my class can all come." said a girl with blonde pigtails. Her name was Chelsea Rosethorn, she wasn't very nice to Mia.  
_

"_All of us? Even her?" said a red headed girl named Ruby, who pointed a Mia.  
_

"_No. Not her, Freaks aren't allowed at my party." _

_All the girls giggled, when little Mia Granger walked off crying._

* * *

"_FREAK! FREAK! MIA GRANGERS A FREAK!"_

"_NO I'M NOT!"_

"_YES YOU ARE!" yelled Chelsea. "All you do is read. Only weird and strange people read books all the time. They are so boring."_

"_I love my books. They are my friends. They are much more interesting then you." Mia said with tears.  
_

"_If you loved your books so much, why don't you marry it?" giggled Ruby._

"_Mia's going to have book babies!" Chelsea giggled.  
_

"_No I'm not!"_

"_Yes, you are. It's because you're a freak!" Ruby smirked._

"_I'M NOT A FREAK!" Mia yelled, as she ran off crying. Meanwhile a gust of wind blew and the two girls fell back over the bench behind them._

* * *

"_I'm disappointed in you Mia." Jean Granger said sadly._

"_I didn't mean to Maman. It was an accident." Mia whimpered._

"_So how did Chelsea Rosethorn break her arm then?"_

"_I didn't do anything Maman. I promise. Chelsea and Ruby were being mean and called me names, so I yelled back."_

"_Then why did Ruby say that you pushed them?"_

"_They lying Maman. It's not true." She sobbed._

"_I don't know what to believe anymore. You can go to your room until your father gets home. No books allowed until then."_

_Mia headed to her room to cry._

* * *

"_It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly." _

_Hermione knocked into Harry as she hurried past him.  
_

_Harry caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears. _

"_I think she heard you." _

"_So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."_

* * *

_Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on._

"_What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's __he __doing here?" _

_He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. _

"_I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team. _

_Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him. _

"_Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." _

_The Slytherin team howled with laughter. _

"_At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to __buy __their way in," said Hermione sharply. "__They __got in on pure talent." _

_The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered. _

"_No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat._

* * *

"_Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"_

* * *

"_OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!" _

_Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing. _

"_Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top — _

"_CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers. _

_George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw. _

_Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail. _

"_Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!" _

"_Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!" _

"_There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!" _

"_Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could __smell __him, Ron, how else d'you think —" _

"_That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, __and __he's ill!"_

* * *

"_Look at him blubber!" _

_Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening. _

"_Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!" _

_Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! _

_She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again. _

"_Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil —" _

"_Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back._

* * *

_It was her third year Defence against the Dark Arts Exam and Professor Lupin had set the an obstacle Course. She nervously twitched as she awaited her turn._

"_Hermione, you turn." Professor Lupin called._

_She wadded across the pool of water containing the Grindylow and successfully. She got through the potholes with the Red Caps, ignored the Hinkypunks directions in the marsh until she reached the old trunk._

_She climbed in to see a 30ft Troll advancing on her with a club._

_She froze. She never told the boys her biggest fears were trolls. Meeting that one in the girls bathroom in first year, only made her fear worse. She had to do this or else the troll was going to squash her like a bug._

_Taking a deep breath she pointed her wand, "R-r-riddikulus!" she shouted._

_The troll stumbled dropping his club then tripping over it. As the troll tumbled down to the floor as she ran for it screaming._

"_Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"_

"_P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"_

_She couldn't tell them. They'd only laugh at her. She thought to herself as she calmed down, as they raised an eyebrow at her._

* * *

"_What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid - lumos!" _

_She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground._

"_Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again. _

"_Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them. _

_Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees. Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley. _

"_Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?" _

_He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them. _

"_What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly. _

"_Granger, they're after Muggles," said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around… they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh." _

"_Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled._

"_Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are." _

"_You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everybody present knew that "Mudblood" was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggle parentage. _

"_Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step toward Malfoy. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard several people nearby screamed. Malfoy chuckled softly. _

"_Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?" _

"_Where're your parents?" said Harry, his temper rising. "Out there wearing masks, are they?" _

_Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling. _

"_Well… if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?" _

"_Oh come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "let's go and find the others." _

"_Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy._

* * *

"_Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!" _

_He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green: POTTER STINKS!_

_The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. _

"_Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty." _

_Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either. _

"_Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." _

_Harry reached for his wand before he'd thought what he was doing. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor. _

"_Harry!" Hermione said warningly. _

"_Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -" _

_For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted. _

"_Funnunculus!" Harry yelled. _

"_Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy. _

_Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth. _

"_Hermione!" _

_Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average - were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry. _

"_And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. _

_Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."_

"_Potter attacked me, sir -" _

"_We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted. _

"_- and he hit Goyle - look -" _

_Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi. _

"_Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly. _

"_Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!" _

_He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back. _

_Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."_

_Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight._

* * *

_Hermione came over and sat down in an empty chair beside her boys. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing. _

"_Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything._

"_It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktors just gone to get some drinks." _

_Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?" _

_Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said. _

"_If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you." _

_Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged. _

"_Ron, what -?" _

"_He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You - you're -" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!" _

_Hermione's mouth fell open. _

"_Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The enemy! Honestly - who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?" _

_Ron chose to ignore this. "I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?" _

"_Yes, he did," said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly. "So what?" _

"_What happened - trying to get him to join spew, were you?" _

"_No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he - he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" _

_Hermione said this very quickly, and blushed so deeply that she was the same color as Parvati's robes. _

"_Yeah, well - that's his story," said Ron nastily. _

"_And what's that supposed to mean?" _

"_Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with… He's just trying to get closer to Harry - get inside information on him - or get near enough to jinx him -" _

_Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her. When she spoke, her voice quivered. "For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one -" _

_Ron changed tack at the speed of light. "Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions -" _

"_I'd never help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. "Never. How could you say something like that - I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?" _

"_You've got a funny way of showing it," sneered Ron. _

"_This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly. _

"_No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!" _

_People were starting to stare at them. _

"_Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum -" _

_But Ron ignored Harry too. _

"_Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron. _

"_Don't call him Vicky!" _

_Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd._

* * *

_Hermione smiled goofily to herself after she walked through Gryffindor Common Room. She had such a wonderful time with Viktor tonight; he was so funny and sweet. She had laughed, danced and met all his friends. He had kissed her goodnight before he departed to his ship, with a promise to meet with her for a study session in the library soon._

_She was about to climb the stairs to the girls dormitory when she heard the slam of the portrait. Turning around she saw Ron stomping his way in to the room._

_Spotting her, he sneered. "Oh your still here are you? Not with dear Vicky."_

_"What's it to you? It's none of your business who I go to the ball with." She snapped._

_"Says who?" he bellowed back. "I don't like it! He's just using you." Not hearing the portrait open._

_"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger. _

_"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?" _

_"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" _

_Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed._

* * *

_"Come on!" Harry said, and leaving the ugly baby-headed Death Eater staggering behind them they took off for the door that stood open at the other end of the room, leading back into the black hallway. _

_They had run halfway towards it when they saw through the open door two more Death Eaters running across the black room towards them; veering left, they burst into a small, dark, cluttered office and slammed the door behind them. _

"_Collo—" began Hermione, but before she could complete the spell the door had burst open and the two Death Eaters had come hurtling inside. _

_With a cry of triumph, both yelled: _

"_IMPEDIMENTA!" _

_Harry, Hermione and Neville were all knocked backwards off their feet; Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view; Hermione smashed into a bookcase and was promptly deluged in a cascade of heavy books; the back of Harry's head slammed into the stone wall behind him, tiny lights burst in front of his eyes and for a moment he was too dizzy and bewildered to react. _

"_WE'VE GOT HIM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry. "IN AN OFFICE OFF—" _

"_Silencio!" cried Hermione and the man's voice was extinguished. He continued to mouth through the hole in his mask, but no sound came out. He was thrust aside by his fellow Death Eater. _

"_Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Harry, as the second Death Eater raised his wand. His arms and legs snapped together and he fell forwards, face down on to the rug at Harry's feet, stiff as a board and unable to move. _

"_Well done, Ha—" _

_But the Death Eater Hermione had just struck dumb made a sudden slashing movement with his wand; a streak of what looked like purple flame passed right across Hermione's chest. She gave a tiny "Oh!" as though of surprise and crumpled on to the floor, where she lay motionless. _

"_HERMIONE!"_

* * *

_"Get - off - her!" Ron shouted. There was the unmistakable sound of knuckles hitting flesh: Ron grunted in pain and Hermione screamed, "No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!" _

_"Your boyfriend's going to have worse than that done to him if he's on my list," said the horribly familiar, rasping voice. "Delicious girl... what a treat . . . I do enjoy the softness of the skin. . . _

_She instant knew who this was, Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who was permitted to wear Death Eater robes in return for his hired savagery. _

_"Search the tent!" said another voice._

* * *

_"Now, let's see who we've got," said Greyback's gloating voice from overhead, and Harry was rolled over onto his back. A beam of wand light fell onto his face and Greyback laughed. _

_"I'll be needing butterbeer to wash this one down. What happened to you, ugly?" _

_Harry did not answer immediately. _

_"I __said__," repeated Greyback, and Harry received a blow to the diaphragm that made him double over in pain. "what happened to you?" _

_"Stung." Harry muttered. "Been Stung." _

_"Yeah, looks like it." said a second voice. _

_"What's your name?" snarled Greyback. _

_"Dudley." said Harry. _

_"And your first name?" _

_"I - Vernon. Vernon Dudley." _

_"Check the list, Scabior." said Greyback, as he moved sideways to look down at Ron, instead. "And what about you, ginger?" _

_"Stan Shunpike." said Ron. _

_"Like 'ell you are." said the man called Scabior. "We know Stan Shunpike, 'e's put a bit of work our way." _

_She felt like face palming of course he'd chose a known death eater name._

_There was another thud. _

_"I'b Bardy," said Ron, and she could tell that his mouth was full of blood. "Bardy Weasley." _

_"A Weasley?" rasped Greyback. "So you're related to blood traitors even if you're not a Mudblood. And lastly, your pretty little friend ..." The relish in his voice made her want to throw up._

_"Easy, Greyback." said Scabior over the jeering of the others._

_"Oh, I'm not going to bite just yet. We'll see if she's a bit quicker at remembering her name than Barny. Who are you, girly? _

_"Penelope Clearwater." said Hermione, her voice shaking. _

_"What's your blood status?" _

_"Half-Blood." said Hermione._

* * *

_"'ang on a minute, Greyback! Look at this, in the __Prophet!__" said Scabior._

_Hermione trembled as she sat there tied to Ron, Harry, Dean and Griphook in the darkness._

_"'__Hermione Granger,__" Scabior was saying, "__the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter__." _

_Greyback crouched down, in front of Hermione. _

_"you know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you." _

_"It isn't! It isn't me!" Hermione's terrified squeaked_

_"__... known to be traveling with Harry Potter,__" repeated Greyback quietly._

_A stillness had settled over the scene. _

_"Well, this changed things, doesn't it?" whispered Greyback._

* * *

"_Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback." _

"_Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except. . . . except for the Mudblood." Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure. Hermione's eyes widened fearfully._

"_No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!" Bellatrix hit him across the face: the blow echoed around the room. _

"_If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet." _

_She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room._

'_Oh Merlin. Not good. Not good.' Hermione trembled as she was dragged away._

"_HERMIONE!" came from below._

"_HERMIONE!" _

_Ron bellowed. 'Shut up!' she thought to herself. He was going to get the all killed. _

"_HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"_

"_My my. It seems the ginger one has a soft spot for you missy." Bellatrix sneered as she paced around her, surveying her. "I guess for a mudblood your pretty. What do you think Draco?"_

_Draco looked at his aunt fearfully and shook his head._

"_Never mind, we're going to have some fun tonight aren't we Greyback?"_

_Greyback grinned saucily at her, rubbing a hand down her side. Making her shake fearfully._

"_Now sweetings, tell Bella what you know. How did you get the sword?" Bellatrix said sweetly._

"_I don't know. It wasn't me." She trembled._

"_Don't lie to me or I'll let Greyback have his way with you. You don't want that now do you?" She sneered. "He's been ever so lonely and waiting for a pretty little thing like you. You'd suit him nicely. Young, beautiful, fiery, intelligent and great child bearing hips."_

_Greyback smacked his lips together and sniffed her hair. "She does smell good too." He mumbled in to her hair. Hermione felt sick, to her stomach at the thought of carrying his children._

"_Greyback, calm. Let her answer my questions and you can play with her after." Bellatrix smiled sweetly. Hermione blanched and tried to catch Draco's eye but his mother pulled him away. "Come young one tell Aunty Bella, where you got the pwetty sword?" she said in her usual baby voice._

"_I don't know anything. The boys found it."_

"_LIES!" She screeched and flicked her wand._

_Hermione screamed as she was hit with the cruciatus curse., falling to her floor, clenching her jaw to stop screaming._

"_HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" she could still hear Ron shouting. _

"_I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? __Where?__"_

"_We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed again._

"_You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, __tell the truth__!" _

_She was hit with the curse again. Her bones and muscles were aching, her whole body was burning._

"_HERMIONE!"_

"_What else did you take? What else have you got? Tel me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"_

"_We didn't take anything!" she managed to mumble out through her teeth._

"_Let me play with her Bella, maybe I could loosen her tongue." Greyback licked his lips._

'_Please no. Don't let him touch me. Kill me now. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much' she screamed inside her head._

"_No. Not yet." She said placing a hand on his shoulder as he stepped forward._

"_What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! __CRUCIO!__"_

_She let out an air piercing scream that echoed throughout the whole room._

* * *

After a very long day of reading everyone in the ROR were sleeping peacefully and comfortably in their beds. Suddenly, there was a scream that pierced through the walls of the ROR, startling them all awake. Jumping out of bed wands wielding, when they heard another scream. They all raced out of their rooms. They follow the shouts to Hermione's room. With a simple nod from the elders the doors flung open at the wave of Albus' wand. They all entered the room, wands at the ready, while Augusta and Henry stood guard with the teens.

They found nothing but Hermione tossing and turning with soft whimpers from her bed. Valentina was crying in her cot from being startled awake by the screams. Remus instantly went over to the babe and exited the room to calm her while the Potters, Sirius, Narcissa and Luna rushed over to Hermione. The others followed Remus out in to the main room to help with Valentina.

"Mia! Mia! Wake up darling. Your safe. Maman's here." Dorea cooed trying to wake the girl.

"It hurts. It hurts." She mumbled in her sleep as she trembled. "Bella-trix. Hurt."

Sirius' and Narcissa' eyes went wide with fear and then darkened with anger. James pulled them out of the room to not cause a disturbance.

"I know sweetheart. I know. Open your eyes for me. I've got you. Your safe now. Wake up sweetheart." Dorea soothed, wiping the cold sweat away.

"What's happening Luna. What do we do?" Charlus said worriedly.

"Try and calm her and get her to wake up. That's all we can do." Luna replied with tears in her eyes. "The readings are bringing up old memories. I knew it was going to happen but I didn't expect it to be this bad."

Lucius came rushing in with a Calming draft and handed it to Dorea, she gave him a soft smile and nodded in thanks. "Remus and Regulus have got Valentina. She's quietened down and Juno has fixed her a bottle." Luna nodded and smiled in thanks, he quickly exited the room leaving the family be.

Hermione let out another window shattering scream, making them all wince.

"HERMIONE!" Dorea said with a firm shake of her shoulder. Hermione startled awake, her body shot up, as she gasped for air. Seeing her family in her room and the worried looks, she fell in to her mother's arms and sobbed.

Luna and Charlus and joined the others, leaving Hermione in Dorea's capable hands.

* * *

_**In the Reading Room…**_

Sirius paced the room angrily grabbing and pulling his hair, while mumbling under his breath.

Remus was seated on the floor beside Valentina's rocker watching her as she slept. The elders were conversing quietly together. The teens were all wrapped up in their own thoughts, feeling helpless. Narcissa was sobbing as Regulus and Lucius tried to soothe her.

"What's going on?" Severus spoke, finally breaking the silence.

"It was Bella." Sirius sneered. "She did this to her. She caused her nightmares."

"Mia was talking in her sleep. She was saying Bellatrix and Hurt. What else would it have been?" Narcissa said her voice trembling. "How can she do this? Mia is our own flesh and blood. What's happened to her?"

"I hate to tell you Cissa but Bellatrix doesn't care; she's evil and crazy and she's capable of doing horrible things and more." Luna said coldly. "You will see throughout the books. I can't tell you what happened to Mia, because it's not my story to tell and I don't want to betray her trust."

"We know but we feel all frustrated, anxious and worried, she's suffering so much and we can't do anything." Charlus rubbed his face.

"It's understandable. It will take time. She has gotten better since the war ended and she hasn't had nightmares in a long while. All the readings are just triggering some memories. Just give her time."

Everyone nodded and thought quietly to themselves.

Eventually after half an hour they heard a door click shut from the girls' dorms.

"I don't know about all of you but I don't think any of us is going to be able to get any more sleep now." Dorea said as she entered the room tiredly. Everyone turned to her anxiously. "She's okay, a little shaken but alright. I've given her a calming draught and she's just resting. She'll come out when she is ready."

"How about we all go and get ready for the day while Juno prepares a light breakfast and a few pots of tea and coffee." Augusta offers. Receiving nods she headed towards the kitchen, as everyone else parted to their rooms.


	16. Chapter 12 - The Polyjuice Potion

**A/N: **Here you go peeps, another upload before the weekend is over. Just as promised. I hope you've all had a wonderful Easter weekend and received plenty of chocolate eggs.

Thanks to those who have reviewed/read the last chapter and hoped you enjoyed it. I know it was it just snippets of Hermione's experience though out the books but if you look closely, I did change it slightly to accommodate her point of view [e.g. Malfoy Manor scene]. The chapter was written to show, that although the war has passed, they'll always be a darkness that surrounds those who suffered the most and thought it would tie in to the story well.

Don't forget, if you can read French, **Marine76** is started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1" with credits to me. If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

* * *

_**On other things...** _Unless you've been hiding under a rock. My condolences go out to the family of _**Richard Griffiths**_ who played Uncle Vernon in our much loved HP Movies.

I remember the first time I saw one of his movies was _**The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear**_. My mother was a big fan of _**Lesley Nielson**_ and I was forced to watch the series over and over again. LOL. The next time I saw one of his movies was one of my all time favourite movies _**Sleepy**_** H****ollow**. If you haven't already seen it, he also in _**Ballet Shoes**_ that also stars the lovely _**Emma Watson**_, another must see movie, which I absolutely loved.

It's sad and heartbreaking to see another wonderful actor leave the plain of the living into the other side of the veil.

_You will sorely be missed. _

_**RIP Richard Griffiths.  
31.07.1947 - 28.03.2013**_

* * *

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**CHAPTER 12 ****- ****The Polyjuice Potion**

After a quiet breakfast of yogurt topped with toasted muesli and berries everyone reconvened in the reading room for the next chapter.

Charlus anxiously picked up the book and turned to the next chapter. "_**Chapter Twelve – The Polyjuice Potion**_."

"Wow. She did it." Henry said in awe.

"Did you expect nothing less? Brightest witch in her year, I would say, possibly the whole school." Minerva said proudly.

"Her third year DADA teacher called her the brightest witch of her age. Professor Dumbledore believed that she would be as powerful and intelligent as Rowena Ravenclaw, if given time." Luna revealed.

The Potters and Narcissa beamed.

**They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait and left him there, alone. **

**Harry looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting.**

The Marauders cheered, they always loved Dumbles' office.

**If he hadn't been scared out of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it. **

"As much as I dislike Harry's strange fascination with expulsion. I have to agree with him. The headmaster's office is by far the most interesting and fascinating one I've ever seen." Amelia grinned.

All the teens agreed with her thoughts.

"Thank you, Ms Bones." Albus twinkled with coloured cheeks.

**It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.**

A few snorts were heard around the room.

"A galleon says their faking?" Sirius grinned.

"No one is stupid enough to take that bet. We all know the ghosts and portraits are the biggest gossips." Alice rolled her eyes.

The elders shook their heads in amusement, when Sirius pouted.

**There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat — the Sorting Hat. **

**Harry hesitated.**

"He doubts the Sorting Hat's decision, doesn't he?" Dorea asked.

Luna nodded.

**He cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn't hurt if he took the hat down and tried it on again? Just to see… just to make sure it had put him in the right House. **

Dorea sighed, clearly disappointed that her Grandson believed that all Slytherins were bad because of those opinions of certain people. It was because of those people, his decision have been clouded. Who were they to judge? All because of a few bad experiences with certain individuals doesn't mean the rest of them were the evil. Merlin was a Slytherin for goodness sakes. If we can't trust Merlin, who can we trust?

**He walked quietly around the desk, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much too large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time he'd put it on. Harry stared at the black inside of the hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in his ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?" **

A few people snorted.

"**Er, yes," Harry muttered. "Er — sorry to bother you — I wanted to ask —" **

"His school education is on the line, yet he's still ever so polite. If I was him I'd be shaking in my boots." Alice snorted making everyone chuckle.

"**You've been wondering whether I put you in the right House," said the hat smartly.**

"Do you think the hat took offense to Harry's doubts?" Regulus asked.

"Reg, it's a hat. I don't think it cares." Sirius rolled his eyes.

Regulus threw a cushion at him in reply.

"Don't you think it's strange that we put so much stock in to what an enchanted hat says? I mean if you think about it, we are chosen, categorized and segregated by a talking hat, based on certain personality traits. Who is he to judge and choose who we are and where we should be? We haven't a chance to find out who we are before we all develop some sort of complex because of what house we're in. We all have these preconceived ideas that because you're a Ravenclaw you need to be intelligent and if you're a Gryffindor your brave of heart. Not only does it encourage discrimination and division in the school, it also influences who we are in the outside world and sometimes it's not for the best." Luna commented.

Everyone sat and pondered her thoughts.

Albus hummed and nodded. He had always believed that sorting the students in first year was a bit too early. Splitting the students in to houses had always caused problems. Maybe it was time he sat down and spoke with the school governors and made a slight change to tradition. If we want to be united in this war, we're going to have to start from the bottom. Even if it means working with children, to make a better world.

It was a few moments before Charlus continued reading.

"**Yes… you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before —" Harry's heart leapt — "you would have done well in Slytherin —" **

**Harry's stomach plummeted. He grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick. **

"**You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move.**

"The Sorting hats right you know. With his brains and his skills, he would have done well. However, he is far too courage and noble to for Slytherin." Moody grumbled.

**Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around. **

"What now?" Lily groaned. James rubbed her shoulders tiredly, it was only 8am and he too was becoming quite anxious.

**He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.**

Breathing a sigh of relief, everyone laughed.

"Fawkes is normally quite beautiful. It sounds like his close to a burning day, knowing Harry's luck he is probably due for it that day." Albus chuckled.

**Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.**

**Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, **

Albus chuckled at that train of thought.

**when the bird burst into flames. **

Those who didn't know about Phoenix life cycles, gasped.

**Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk.**

To this the Remus and Sirius burst out laughing, while James scowled.

"Like father like son, aye Prongsy?" Remus smirked.

"Shut up."

**He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smoldering pile of ash on the floor. **

**The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber. **

As did a few of the elders.

"**Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird — I couldn't do anything — he just caught fire —" **

**To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled. **

"I hate it when you do that Albus, it's very annoying." Minerva sniffed.

Albus jus twinkled his annoying little twinkle, which made Minerva glare at him.

All the teens snickered.

"**About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."**

**He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face. **

"If he looked anything like Jamie boy here then I wouldn't be surprised." Sirius laughed.

James lobbed a cushion at Sirius smacking him right in the face.

"**Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him…" **

**Harry looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one. **

Everyone laughed at Harry's observation.

"I love this kid!" Alice snorted trying to calm down her laughter, causing more laughs.

"**It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets." **

Luna raised an eyebrow. '_Interesting_' she thought to herself. Had Dumbledore already known that Harry would find the chamber and would need Fawkes to survive? Things were becoming quite too convenient for her taste.

**In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare. **

A few people grimaced at the reminder of last night's chapter.

**Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand. **

"HAGRID!" All his friends cheered.

"You just got to love Harry's descriptions don't you? He makes Hagrid sound so scary but Hagrid's the biggest teddy bear you'll ever know." Amelia laughed, getting a few nods.

"**It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time, sir —" **

**Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere. **

"I definitely would have paid to see that." Came a voice from the Female dorms, causing the room to jump.

"MIA!" All the teens cheered.

"Hi everyone." She said hoarsely, seating herself beside Sirius. "Sorry about the early wake up call." She said nervously looking at her fingers. Seeing this Sirius pulled her to his side and gave her a little squeeze causing her to blush.

"You have nothing to apologize to us about. We would have thought it strange if you didn't have any nightmares. We're all here for you and if you need a break let us know." Narcissa said softly. All the teens nodded and the elders gave her an assuring smile.

Juno popped in to the room with a breakfast tray consisting of porridge topped honey and cinnamon and a warm cup camomile and jasmine tea with a side of lemon and honey. "Missy must eat. Juno make easy food for tummy. You is needing energy for readings." She said sternly, with a look that spoke _'no excuses'_.

Hermione nodded but looked shocked at being reprimanded by an elf. She got comfortable as the elf placed the try on a small table for her and began eating. All the teens tried to stifle their laughs at the look on her face but were glared at, when the elf popped out of the room.

Charlus quickly continued reading before Hermione's temper arouse.

"**it can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to."**

"I doubt Hagrid being a witness would have helped or change anything. A lot of the ministry workers are quite biased 'half breeds' so his statement won't be worth anything." Remus sneered. Amelia tried to calm him down, whispering words in his ear.

Hermione and Luna exchanged a look knowing how true that was.

"**Hagrid, I —" **

"— **yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never —" **

"**Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people." **

Lily and the Potters smiled thankfully at the headmaster.

"**Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." **

Lily and the Potters smiled appreciatively at Hagrid's loyalty and friendship.

**And he stomped out looking embarrassed. **

There were chuckles at Hagrid's expense.

"**You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk. **

A few more stifled laughs came from the Marauders, each with a mischievous grin that made all the elders uneasy. Albus twinkled looking forward to a feathery prank.

"**No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you." **

**Harry waited nervously while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together. **

"**I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all." **

"It sounds like your trying to get him to tell you about his parseltongue ability and the mysterious voice." Charlus observed.

Albus just hummed in agreement.

**Harry didn't know what to say. He thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

Hermione coloured brightly at the mention of the potion. _'oh no, they are going to find out about my accident.'_ Meanwhile, Luna was humming a little tune to keep herself from laughing at Hermione's face. Hermione scowled at her friend.

**Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin… **

"I would have wanted to know, strange or not it could be a vital clue. I probably also would have been able to soothe his worries about being related to Slytherin line." Albus commented.

"**No," said Harry. "There isn't anything, Professor…"**

This made the Potters and Lily groaned.

Lily however, was a little upset that her son felt like he couldn't trust any elders. She blamed Petunia and the Dursley for this and she wasn't going to forgive so easily.

**The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most.**

"Can you blame them?" Narcissa shivered. Lucius once again looked down guiltily. Seeing the look Hermione made a note to speak to her distant cousin later.

**What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? **

"Something extremely dangerous." Henry said worriedly.

**There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas. **

Minerva and the elders shook their heads. Hogwarts was meant to be a safe haven for the children. It was a place where they could keep their innocence but so far all they've seen is danger and fear.

"**At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be." **

"It's not like you'll be seeing them around. They'll be in their common room most of the time and you'll be in yours." Alice scowled.

**Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Harry was glad that most people were leaving. He was tired of people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed.**

Everyone frowned at this, especially the professors. _How did they miss this?_

**Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through…" **

The Marauders sniggered at their successors.

"Awesome!" Sirius grinned.

"They were trying to cheer up Harry. They could see how much it was affecting him and they felt badly for treating him rotten last year because of the docked points." Luna explained, seeing the horrified looks.

**Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior. **

"He disapproves of a lot of things." Alice noted with a frown.

"**It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly. **

"**Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry." **

"**Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling. **

This caused another round of laughter, this time from the male elders. Dorea shifted uneasily in her seat.

**Ginny didn't find it amusing either. **

"**Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next, **

A few people frowned at her odd behaviour. Didn't Ron and the twins say she's normally talkative and hyperactive? She may have been scared like everyone else, but even so, she has been acting strangely and more subdued compared to the little girl they met in the first book.

**or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met. **

**Harry didn't mind; it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous.**

The Marauders smiled approvingly.

**But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it. **

Narcissa and Lucius looked puzzled. Why was it bothering Draco so much? Even Luna and Hermione were a little confused by that but they kept that to themselves.

"**It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work." **

"Doubt it." Lucius mumbled.

"**Not for long," said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. **

"Well done." Henry smiled at his goddaughter. Hermione nodded in thanks as she ate her breakfast silently.

**We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now." **

**At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Harry found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that he, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, **

"Excellent." The Marauders said with mischievous grins. Charlus and Dorea exchanged exasperated looks.

**which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private.**

Moody grunted approvingly.

**Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.**

"They couldn't even afford to buy a new owl or school things for Ginny but they've gone on another holiday?" Regulus sneered. "I know our family is rich and have no money issues but Weasleys aren't, they should have saved it for the following school year."

"I think Bill paid for it but don't hold me to that." Luna answered, looking to Hermione for confirmation.

Hermione just shrugged her shoulders. "It could be possible but the Weasley's are too proud to take money from their children. If it was the case, it wasn't by choice."

Alice nodded. She agreed with the Regulus and Hermione and made note of it. She was wondering what had happened to her Molly and why is Arthur going along with the odd behaviour.

**Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behavior, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time. **

There were a few snorts at this, none more loudly than from the current prefects and head students.

"As much as we appreciate the support, I don't think we'd put the safety of the student council in jeopardy because we needed extra security. They are there as role models for the students not to segregate and perceive themselves as hierarchy." Minerva frowned. Maybe she needed to reiterate to the student council their duties and priorities.

**Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Harry and Ron, the only ones left in their dormitory, were woken very early by Hermione, who burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both. **

Everyone raised an eyebrow at this.

"What? It's not like we were doing anything. Get your minds out of the gutter." She glared at them causing everyone to grin sheepishly.

"Hey! Why are girls up in our dorms but we can't go up in theirs?" Sirius pouted.

"The founders applied security measures to the female dorms to ensure the safety and purity of the female student body. It's also for the parents' peace of mind." Amelia explained. "Besides, it was considered unbecoming for female to follow any males to their dorm back in those days and knew that no female would bring shame to herself. Think about it, how likely is it for a female to go up to the male dorms and take advantage of them, than it is for a male?"

Sirius thought about this and nodded. He'd be glad when Valentina went to school, he'd kill anyone who thought about touching her without her permission.

"**Wake up," she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window. **

"That's a better wake-up call then I'm used to." Remus said glaring at his friends.

Sirius and James grinned.

"What did they do?" Luna asked looking very amused.

"Let's just say, _Aguamenti_ is a well practice spell." Amelia giggled at the glares Remus sent.

This made all the teens laugh.

"**Hermione — you're not supposed to be in here —" said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.**

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"**Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present. "I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the potion. It's ready." **

The teens looked excited to see the outcome, although they weren't keen to try it themselves by the sounds of the description.

**Harry sat up, suddenly wide awake. **

"Of course." Lily sighed.

"**Are you sure?" **

"Why must he question me?" Hermione huffed, gaining laughs.

"**Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat **

Hermione and Luna twitched slightly but thankfully weren't noticed by the others.

**so that she could sit down on the end of Ron's four-poster. "If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight." **

Moody grunted approvingly.

**At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak. **

"**Hello," said Harry happily as she landed on his bed. "Are you speaking to me again?" **

**She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way, **

The females all cooed, while Luna and Hermione had fond smiles.

**which was a far better present than the one that she had brought him, which turned out to be from the Dursleys. **

Lily looked shocked.

**They had sent Harry a toothpick **

Her shock turned in to sudden anger. The rest of the room was no better.

**and a note telling him to find out whether he'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too. **

"I'd rather he stay at Hogwarts if possible then those animals." James muttered angrily. The Potter elders and Lily nodded.

The rest of the room looked at them sympathetically. How can something like this happen to such nice people?

**The rest of Harry's Christmas presents were far more satisfactory.**

"Good." Lily muttered, still a little angry at her 'relatives'.

**Hagrid had sent him a large tin of treacle fudge, which Harry decided to soften by the fire before eating; **

All of Hagrid's friend nodded approvingly. Making Hermione and Luna giggle.

**Ron had given him a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favorite Quidditch team,**

"He's not trying to force his team on Harry at all." Regulus said rolling his eyes.

"I certainly hope not. Harry is entitled to have his own favourite team and the Cannons are terrible. I don't know how they've lasted this long in the league." James said shaking his head.

"If it makes you feel better, Harry's a Puddlemere fan." Luna smiled.

"YES!" James and Sirius jumped up and did their strange happy dance. Charlus rolled his eyes and continued.

**and Hermione had bought him a luxurious eagle-feather quill.**

"Thanks Mia." Lily smiled softly at her future Sister-in-law.

Hermione waved it off with a smile.

**Harry opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a large plum cake. He read her card with a fresh surge of guilt, thinking about Mr. Weasley's car (which hadn't been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow), and the bout of rule-breaking he and Ron were planning next. **

"He has nothing to feel guilty about; sometimes you have to do what you have to do." Moody said gruffly.

Minerva, Augusta and Lily's lips thinned at the rule breaking but nodded in agreement.

**No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. **

Once again like clockwork, Sirius' tummy rumbled. He grinned sheepishly as everyone rolled their eyes.

**The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling.**

This made everyone in the room smile wistfully a Hogwarts Christmas was always a great Christmas and one to remember.

**Dumbledore led them in a few of his favorite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. **

Dorea and Augusta shook their heads. Minerva looked pointedly at Albus who nodded his head with a sigh. He'd definitely need to talk to Hagrid.

**Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at. **

This made all the teens snicker.

**Harry didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remark about his new sweater from the Slytherin table. **

This made Lucius and Narcissa scowl. They were definitely raising him different this time around.

**With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours' time. **

**Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the hall to finalize their plans for the evening.**

"I'm glad appetite is getting better, I hate to see what he'll look like the next year." Dorea muttered. She didn't like how he was suffering at the Dursleys and was afraid her grandson would suffer health wise.

"**We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. **

Once again there were a few snickers.

"**And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're Malfoys best friends, he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him. **

Moody grunted his approval.

"**I've got it all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry's and Ron's stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet." **

The whole room was staring at her in awe. Hermione shifted in her seat uneasily and made an excuse to return the tray to Juno.

**Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other. **

"**Hermione, I don't think —" **

"**That could go seriously wrong —" **

**But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had. **

A few snorts were heard.

"**The potion will be useless without Crabbe's and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?" **

"A very Slytherin move." Lucius chuckled fondly.

"**Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?" **

"**I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas — so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back." **

This earned a few raised eyebrows as Hermione returned to the room as her face as red as a tomato.

**When Hermione had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Harry with a doom-laden expression. **

"**Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?" **

Hermione fidgeted in her seat, making Sirius look at her curiously. Seeing Hermione avoid his eyes, he sighed leaving it alone.

**But to Harry's and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said. They lurked in the deserted entrance hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shoveling down fourth helpings of trifle. **

This made the females wrinkle their nose in disgust.

**Harry had perched the chocolate cakes on the end of the banisters. When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Harry and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armor next to the front door. **

"**How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them. Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths. For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backward onto the floor. **

This made all the Slytherins face palm. How did these idiots even manage to get in to their house?

**By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the hall. Once they were safely stowed among the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs. They also stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe - and Goyle-size feet. **

"Good thinking." Henry nodded.

"That may have been Harry's idea. He's very good at thinking on his feet." Luna commented.

**Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. **

**They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Harry and Ron knocked softly on the door. **

"**Hermione?" **

**They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion.**

"Sounds perfect." Dorea commented. Henry and Charlus nodded.

**Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat. **

"**Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly. **

**Harry showed her Goyle's hair. **

"**Good. And I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle." **

"Well done. You've got everything worked out." Moody grunted.

Hermione nodded in thanks, still a little pink faced.

**The three of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.**

This time all the teens wrinkled their noses but remained quiet, eager to see the outcome of this adventure.

"**I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should… once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves." **

"**Now what?" Ron whispered. **

"**We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs." **

**Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass. **

**The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow. **

"That's not right." Henry muttered loud enough so only the elders heard. Dorea glanced worriedly at her daughter, who was trying to avoid eye contact.

"**Urgh — essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting." **

"**Add yours, then," said Hermione. **

**Harry dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki color of a booger, Crabbe's a dark, murky brown. **

"That sounds better." Charlus muttered.

"**Hang on," said Harry as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not all drink them in here… Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie." **

Moody once again grunted his approval.

"**Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate stalls." **

**Careful not to spill a drop of his Polyjuice Potion, Harry slipped into the middle stall. **

"**Ready?" he called. **

"**Ready," came Ron's and Hermione's voices. **

"**One — two — three —" **

**Pinching his nose, Harry drank the potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage. **

This gained a few green faces.

**Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed live snakes — doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick — then a burning sensation spread rapidly from his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes — next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax — and before his eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened, the knuckles were bulging like bolts — his shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on his forehead told him that hair was creeping down toward his eyebrows — his robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops — his feet were agony in shoes four sizes too small. **

All the teens looked scared at the description.

"He should've taken his shoes off before the transformation, helps with some of the discomfort." Moody said gruffly.

The elders nodded in agreement.

**As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Harry lay facedown on the stone-cold floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. **

Hermione rolled her eyes. Out of all the things he notices.

**With difficulty, he kicked off his shoes and stood up. So this was what it felt like, being Goyle. His large hand trembling, he pulled off his old robes, which were hanging a foot above his ankles, pulled on the spare ones, and laced up Goyle's boatlike shoes.**

All the teens snickered at the comparison. Those who knew Goyle Snr laughed loudly, none more so than Lucius.

**He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles, low on his forehead. Then he realized that his glasses were clouding his eyes because Goyle obviously didn't need them — he took them off and called, "Are you two okay?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth. **

"Must have been weird to hear a Goyle care, they're usually emotionless boulders." Regulus commented, much to the agreements of the teen Slytherins.

"**Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right. **

**Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him out of dull, deep-set eyes. Harry scratched his ear. So did Goyle. **

This made Henry and Charlus chuckle.

"It is a strange experience but you get used to it."

**Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms. **

Alice pulled a face. "He errr... sounds hot." she said much to the disgust of her boyfriend. The other teens couldn't help but laugh at Franks' face. Lily meanwhile just shook her head in amusement at her best friend. _What was she going to do with her?_

"**This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."**

"**We'd better get going," said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle's thick wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow…" **

Hermione face palmed. "I knew there was something I forgot."

"Your only first years, I'm surprised everything has gone well so far." Henry said proudly.

Hermione winced.

"What wrong?" Sirius grimaced.

Much to Hermione's dismay, Luna sing-songed. "You'll see."

This made everyone look at the time-travelers with interest.

**Ron, who had been gazing at Harry, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking."**

All the Slytherins teens laughed. It definitely would be weird.

**He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go —" **

**A high-pitched voice answered him. **

"**I — I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me." **

Her family looked at her worriedly.

"**Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you —" **

"Ronald." Luna sighed.

"**No — really — I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time —" **

"If you've been stalled somehow, keep going. Don't waste time." Moody grunted approvingly.

All the teens nodded, taking on the advice.

**Harry looked at Ron, bewildered. **

"**That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."**

"Not the time!" Moody growled. "If they've got an hour, they're wasting time."

"**Hermione, are you okay?" said Harry through the door.**

"**Fine — I'm fine — go on —" **

**Harry looked at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed. **

"**We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said. **

Although worried, this made Lily and the Potters smile softly. The friendships between the two were clearly unbreakable.

**Harry and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off. **

"**Don't swing your arms like that," Harry muttered to Ron. **

"**Eh?" **

"**Crabbe holds them sort of stiff…" **

"**How's this?" **

"**Yeah, that's better…" **

The male elders all nodded.

"It's always good to know the behavioural characteristics of your clone. It may help you in the long run." Henry advised the teens. Once again this was noted.

**They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around. **

"**Any ideas?" muttered Harry.**

"**The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long, curly hair emerged from the entrance.**

"**Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room." **

Everyone face palmed.

"If you're going to imitate those two idiots, you should know they aren't very polite and won't say 'excuse me'." Regulus sighed.

"**I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw." **

**She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them. **

**Harry and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe's and Goyle's huge feet hit the floor, feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped. **

"Never is." Henry confirmed.

**The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead. **

"**Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!" **

**The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy. **

Everyone raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's he doing down there?" Alice asked.

"He's probably meeting up with his secret girlfriend." Sirius said wriggling his eyebrows.

"He doesn't have one." James snorted.

Charlus continued reading before this could continue.

"**What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise. **

**Percy looked affronted. **

"**That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?" **

"**Wh — oh, yeah," said Ron. **

"**Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days." **

"**You are," Ron pointed out. **

"**I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a prefect. Nothing's about to attack me." **

"I doubt being a Prefect has anything to do with that." Frank snorted. "These kids honestly to be knocked down a few pegs, his letting his position get to his head."

**A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first time in his life, Harry was pleased to see him. **

This gained a few snickers.

"**There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I want to show you something really funny." **

**Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy.**

"**And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered. **

**Percy looked outraged.**

"**You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!" **

"Although Draco was being rude, respect is earned and Percy wasn't being very nice either." Luna said dreamily.

**Malfoy sneered and motioned for Harry and Ron to follow him. Harry almost said something apologetic to Percy but caught himself just in time.**

Moody nodded approvingly. He could see now why the kid, pursued a career in law enforcement. He was a natural.

**He and Ron hurried after Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley —"**

"**Percy," Ron corrected him automatically. **

Once again people face palmed or shook their heads.

"He needs to stay in character. It's little things like that can ruin a mission." Moody growled.

"**Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed." **

Sirius coughed, which sounded a lot like 'girlfriend'. James just threw a cushion at him.

**He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks. **

**Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. **

"**What's the new password again?" he said to Harry. **

"**Er —" said Harry. **

"**Oh, yeah — pure-blood!" said Malfoy, **

This caused most of the room to snort.

The Slytherins and Dorea, shifted in their seats awkwardly.

**not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Malfoy marched through it, and Harry and Ron followed him. **

**The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs. **

"That sounds lovely. Not very homie but I like it." Luna said softly.

All the Slytherins gave her warm smiles. Severus smiled softly and gave her a wink, which made Hermione and Narcissa grin.

"**Wait here," said Malfoy to Harry and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it my father's just sent it to me —" **

Lucius cringed, knowing this wouldn't be good.

**Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Harry and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home. **

**Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.**

"**That'll give you a laugh," he said. **

**Harry saw Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Harry.**

**It had been clipped out of the **_**Daily Prophet**_**, and it said: **

_**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC **_

_**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. **_

_**Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation. "Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately." **_

_**Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them. **_

Lucius looked down guiltily.

"**Well?" said Malfoy impatiently as Harry handed the clipping back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?" **

"**Ha, ha," said Harry bleakly. **

Regulus snorted. "Draco didn't even catch that? Those two must have been slower than their fathers."

"**Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them," said Malfoy scornfully. "You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave." **

**Ron's — or rather, Crabbe's — face was contorted with fury. **

"He needs to stay in character! He is going to get them caught!" Moody growled.

"**What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy. **

"**Stomachache," Ron grunted. **

"Much better." Moody said, clearly annoyed.

"**Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering.**

"Stop it Lucius." Hermione hissed, knowing Lucius' thoughts. "It's all in the past, this has all changed. You're not your father, anymore and Draco isn't going to be either."

"**You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in." **

**Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: "'Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?"'**

Luna and Hermione glared at the book in defence of their friend. Sirius and Severus pulled their 'girls' in to their grasps knowing how hard it was for them to hear about their friend.

**He dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron. **

"**What's the matter with you two?"**

**Far too late, Harry and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake. **

The Slytherins all snorted.

"**Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend," said Malfoy slowly. "He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood. And people think he's Slytherin's heir!"**

**Harry and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him — but then "I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy petulantly. "I could help them." **

**Ron's jaw dropped so that Crabbe looked even more clueless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all…" **

"If he did, he wouldn't have kept it to himself. He would have used it to his advantage." Severus commented, making all the Slytherins nod.

"**You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing — last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time… I hope it's Granger," he said with relish. **

Hissed and growls and shouts of anger were made.

Narcissa gasped and walked over to Hermione to pull her in to a hug apologizing profusely.

"Cissa stop. It's not your fault. You can't control what the book Draco does, this is all in the past. He's different now remember? I made him Valentina's godfather. If I didn't forgive him I wouldn't have done so." Hermione whispered to her cousin. Narcissa nodded with tears in her eyes, however she didn't go back to her seat but squeezed herself between Luna and Hermione.

**Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fists. Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Ron punched Malfoy, Harry shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?" **

"**Oh, yeah… whoever it was was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban." **

"**Azkaban?" said Harry, puzzled. **

"Careful Harry." Dorea said worriedly.

"**Azkaban — the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward." **

**He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?" **

**Harry tried to force Goyle's dull face into a look of concern. **

"**Yeah…" said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor —"**

"**Ho!" said Ron. **

Everyone face palmed.

**Malfoy looked at him. So did Harry. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. **

"They've run out of time." Henry said with wide eyes.

**His nose was also slowly lengthening — their hour was up, Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving Harry, he must be, too.**

"GET OUT OF THERE NOW, HADRIAN JAMES POTTER!" Lily screeched.

Remus and those seated beside her winced at the noise.

**They both jumped to their feet. **

"**Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything. **

"I don't think he cared." Luna said airily. "Draco said Crabbe and Goyle always ate beyond capacity and always spent their time in the hospital wing after feasts."

**Harry could feel his feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up his robes as he shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle. **

This made a few people snort in laughter.

**Leaving their shoes outside the closet door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. **

"**Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. "I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room." **

Moody nodded approvingly. It wasn't complete waste of time after all.

**Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. He put his glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's stall. **

"**Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you —" **

"**Go away!" Hermione squeaked. **

Everyone looked worriedly at said girl, who buried her face in Sirius' shoulder.

**Harry and Ron looked at each other.**

"**What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are." **

"It was the potion wasn't it?" Dorea asked.

Luna nodded, realising Hermione wasn't going to speak.

**But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Harry had never seen her looking so happy. **

"Not good." Amelia sighed. "That's why you girls said you've seen a Happy Myrtle. She's never happy unless it's at someone else's expense."

"**Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful —" **

**They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head.**

Everyone tensed waiting to hear the outcome.

"**What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"**

This made Luna roll her eyes. "It doesn't work that way."

**Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink. **

**Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair. **

Everyone gasped.

"**It was a c-cat hair!" she howled. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"**

"**Uh-oh," said Ron.**

"**You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily. **

The Marauders all growled protectively.

"**It's okay, Hermione," said Harry quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…"**

All the teens nodded.

"Madam Pomfrey is good like that." Narcissa smiled.

**It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. "Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"**

All the females scowled at that.

"That's the end." Charlus said handing the book over to Lucius.

"How long were you in the hospital wing for?" Dorea asked worriedly.

"About a little over a month. It took a little longer because of my eyes were a bright yellow and I erms… kept coughing up furballs." she replied with a blush.

"If you look closely, when she's angry the pupils of her eyes change and become cat like. It's quite fascinating." Luna airily.

This made a few of the teens snicker but quietened when Sirius glared at them.


	17. Chapter 13 – The Very Secret Diary

**A/N: **Thank you to those who have reviewed/followed/favourited since the last chapter update. Sorry this update has taken so long, I haven't been feeling great since I got back from Europe due to the weather differences. Because I've been so ill, I haven't really been very motivated to write anything. I don't think this is my best chapter because I kept continuously getting stuck but I hope you guys like it.

I'll also be posting a mini timeline for those who have requested it because the updates are so few and far between, people are forgetting some of the facts.

Anyways enjoy and keep reading! xoxox

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Don't forget, if you can read French, **Marine76** is started translating "M.A.D. - Book 1" with credits to me. If you are able to read French, please do pop on by to give your support.

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 13 - The Very Secret Diary**

Lucius turned to the next chapter and read it with a confused expression. "_**Chapter Thirteen – The Very Secret Diary.**_"

Severus and Sirius sat up at the mention of the Diary. They vaguely remembered the girls tensing at the mention of a diary.

**Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks. There was a flurry of rumor about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked.**

Hermione internally winced and grabbed Sirius' hand making him look her worriedly.

**So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face. **

"I bet your glad that Madam Pomfrey has a don't ask don't tell policy." Alice giggled.

"Definitely." Hermione blushed.

"What did you tell Madam Pomfrey?" Augusta asked curiously.

"I told her a half truth. Being the studious person that I am, the staff didn't ask many questions. I said that I was practicing potions and cat hair must have compromised the potion."

"I guess, we're lucky that you're a bookworm like Moony then. He always gets away with things too." James snickered then yelped when he was hit by a stinging hex.

Remus pocketed his wand with a smirk, while others _tried_ to stifle their laughs.

**Harry and Ron went to visit her every evening. When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework. **

"Really Mia? Can't you give yourself a little break. I'm sure your already ahead with your work as it is. Give yourself a little holiday. I'm sure the teachers wouldn't have minded." Regulus tutted.

Hermione just stuck her tongue out at him while the others laughed.

"**If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening. **

Alice rolled her eyes.

"**Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly. Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown.**

"Thank goodness for that." Dorea sighed.

"I wish I had eyes like a cat." Luna said randomly, as the others looked at her strangely.

Hermione snickered at expression on everyones faces.

"**I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her. **

A few people looked up eagerly at the question.

"**Nothing," said Harry gloomily. **

Those previous people slumped back in their seats.

"**I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for about the hundredth time. **

"He was right, it was just the wrong Malfoy." Severus said making Lucius wince.

"**What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow. **

Luna who knew what Harry was speaking grabbed Severus' arm to stop herself from falling off her seat in laughter. Hermione scowled at her best friend and mumbled something about '_over observant prats' _and_ 'traitorus best friends'_, as everyone else looked on in confusion.

"**Just a get well card," said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open, and read aloud: **

"_**To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award." **_

The room erupted in laughter at that comment as Hermione blushed. James was practically rolling on the floor laughing at the card.

**Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted. **

"**You sleep with this under your pillow?" **

"That's kind of disturbing." Alice wrinkled her nose, gaining more laughter.

"I had only just received it when they came in to the room so I tried to hide it from them because they are both so nosey and obviously wanted to keep rubbing my crush in my face." She explained but this didn't abate the laughter, so she buried her face in Sirius' shoulder from embarrassment. Sirius shook his head with a little chuckle and pulled her tightly to his side.

It was a few moments before Lucius was able to continue because of the laughter.

**But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine. **

"**Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Harry as they left the infirmary and started up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower.**

"Whats it to him? It's not like its bothering him in any way and it's none of his business who you receive mail from." Regulus asked.

"He's probably jealous of the attention Harry and Mia are receiving and once again his being overlooked for something." Narcissa observed. "I do think there is something else there but I'm not too sure."

All the teens and a few of the elders also agreed.

Luna and Hermione looked to each other in nervousness. Even then Ron's jealousy over Harry's fame, Her and Harrys friendships with others, potential relationships and crushes were also a factor. Why did they not see this earlier?

**Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it.**

This had made a few people snicker while Severus fake glared at the book.

**Ron was just saying he wished he had asked Hermione how many rat tails you were supposed to add to a Hair Raising Potion **

"It was about time he learnt something on his own. He can't always expect me to have all the answers." Hermione mumbled in irritation.

"He seems a little too dependent on you for all the answers when it comes to homework. Does he ever try and make an effort?" Alice asked.

"He does sometimes when he has to but he feels that he doesn't need much of a formal education if he wanted to pursue Quidditch. It wasn't until third year that he wanted to become an Auror. Even then it took a lot of effort on his part to pick up a book." She replied.

Alice nodded and made note to help Ron with motivation.

**when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears. **

"**That's Filch," Harry muttered as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard. **

"Was someone else attacked?" Charlus stiffened

"No. Not this time." Luna assured.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief for the moment.

"**You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely. **

**They stood still, their heads inclined toward Flich's voice, which sounded quite hysterical. **

Everyone furrowed their brows in confusion.

"What's got his knickers in a twist?" James muttered.

"**Even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore —"**

"That's his job." Augusta said in disbelief.

All the teen shrugged. Albus made a note under Filch's character profile.

**His footsteps receded along the out-of-sight corridor and they heard a distant door slam. **

**They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post: They were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked. **

"They shouldn't be there. It will only make people suspicious if they are seen around the scene of the attack." Charlus shook his head.

**They saw at a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, **

"Myrtle." All the females sighed.

**and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Now that Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls. **

All the females grimaced.

"I guess she is back to her usual charming self. Didn't take her long did it?" Sirius winced.

"Nope."

"**Now what's up with her?" said Ron. **

"Knowing Myrtle, a lot of things." Narcissa muttered. All the other girls also agreed.

"**Let's go and see," said Harry, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water to the door bearing its OUT OF ORDER sign, ignored it as always, and entered. **

"Should we be worried that he isn't at all hesitant against entering a female bathroom?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lily just whacked her with a cushion, while the others laughed.

**Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before.**

"Really?" Minerva pondered if that was at all possible.

**She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. It was dark in the bathroom because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet. **

"Nothing new there." Augusta snorted.

"**What's up, Myrtle?" said Harry. **

"**Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?" **

"Why would anyone want to throw something at her?" Sirius frowned.

**Harry waded across to her stall and said, "Why would I throw something at you?" **

He cheered and did a fist pump. He's friends and family just ignored him, although, Luna and Hermione did giggle quietly to themselves.

"**Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me…" **

"So she flooded the bathroom." Regulus deadpanned.

"Pretty much." Hermione replied.

"Mental." He snorted.

"**But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Harry, reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"**

All the females groaned while Lily face palmed. "My son has the sensitivity of a teaspoon."

"Just like his father." Dorea sighed, gaining laughs.

James mock gasped and clutched his chest in a faint. He's father shook his head and signaled for Lucius to continue.

**He had said the wrong thing. **

"You think?" Amelia giggled.

**Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!" **

"Now that she has set the rules, it actually does sound like a fun." Regulus joked.

All the teens laughed picturing it.

"**Who threw it at you, anyway?" asked Harry. **

"**I don't know… I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death, and it fell right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at them. "It's over there, it got washed out…" **

**Harry and Ron looked under the sink where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. Harry stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold him back. **

Moody nodded approvingly. "Always be careful, you never know when an object may be cursed. The most random and innocent looking item could be dangerous."

All the teens nodded in understanding and made note.

"Just like Luna and Mia." Charlus muttered to the elders, earning chuckles.

"**What?" said Harry. **

"**Are you crazy?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous." **

_It was._ Hermione and Luna thought to themselves.

"**Dangerous?" said Harry, laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?" **

"Ron's right. He shouldn't brush it off so easily." Charlus said nervously.

"**You'd be surprised," said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated Dad's told me — there was one that burned your eyes out. **

A few of the teens gasped.

"Poor Arthur, I suppose muggle baiting is still a common occurrence." Henry observed.

Hermione and Luna nodded.

All the elders shook their heads in disgust.

**And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And —"**

"**All right, I've got the point," said Harry. **

**The little book lay on the floor, nondescript and soggy. **

"**Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," he said, and he ducked around Ron and picked it up off the floor. **

"He shouldn't have touched it with his skin. That could have ended badly." Dorea groaned.

Lily twitched worriedly. "Reckless." She groaned.

**Harry saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told him it was fifty years old. **

"The Chamber was opened fifty years after Harry's second year. The diary might have information on the Chamber." Frank said in realisation.

**He opened it eagerly. On the first page he could just make out the name "T M. Riddle" in smudged ink. **

All the elder females gasped, while the males growled. The teens looked on confused, waiting on an explanation but no one offered one.

"**Hang on," said Ron, who had approached cautiously and was looking over Harry's shoulder. "I know that name… T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."**

"Riddle... Riddle... sounds familiar. Ah yes, I remember polishing the trophy in detention with Filch. Maybe he was the one responsible for stopping the attacks." James rubbed his hands eagerly.

He didn't notice his father and Henry muttering angrily under their breaths. Albus made a note to remove that award.

"**How on earth d'you know that?" said Harry in amazement. **

"**Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too." **

**Harry peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even Auntie Mabel's birthday, or dentist, half-past three. **

"**He never wrote in it," said Harry, disappointed. **

"Why would it be blank?" Narcissa frowned.

"It is little odd, why would someone want to flush a blank diary? It could be anything. Was it dangerous? Possession? Cursed? The reason the behind why book is blank could just be a contributing factor and whoever flushed it was is scared." Lucius summarized.

All the elders looked at Lucius with wide eyes. He may be correct and they prayed he wasn't. The last thing they wanted was for Tom Riddle to be capable of possession.

Hermione and Luna gripped the boys tightly knowing Lucius was right on the money.

"**I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously. **

**Harry turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London. **

"This Riddle person is either a Muggleborn or Half-blood." Remus pointed out.

"Tom Riddle was a half blood. Pure-blood mother and Muggle father." Albus confirmed

All the teens made note of this.

"**He must've been Muggle-born," said Harry thoughtfully. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road…" **

Remus smiled lightly.

"**Well, it's not much use to you," said Ron. He dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose." **

"Ronald!" Alice growled as all the male teens laughed.

**Harry, however, pocketed it. **

All the elders shook their heads.

**Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and furfree, at the beginning of February.**

The Potters, Sirius and Narcissa smiled.

**On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her T. M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they had found it. **

"**Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely. **

This made everyone chuckle.

"Careful. We don't want anything else happening to you so soon after leaving the hospital." Dorea said worriedly.

"I was fine Maman." Hermione assured.

Dorea nodded but she couldn't help but feel worried.

"**If it has, it's hiding them very well," said Ron. "Maybe it's shy. **

This made everyone roll their eyes.

**I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry." **

"He should turn it in to the headmaster. I have a really bad feeling about that diary. Like there is something sinister about it." Amelia shuddered. Remus wrapped his arms around her; he too felt there was something more to the diary.

"**I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry. "I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either." **

"**Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. **

"The squid is harmless and wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone unless provoked." Remus said eyeing James who tried to whistle innocently to everyones amusement.

**Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor…" **

"Ronald! You shouldn't joke about someones murder." Alice hissed. Frank tried to calm her down but you could see how angry he is by the coldness in his eyes.

Luna and Hermione's were shocked and made note of this. Ron seems to be saying things that were pretty coincidental, maybe there was seer blood in the Weasley or Prewitt line? They'd definitely have to look in to this.

**But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.**

"**What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other. **

"**Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" he said. "That's what Malfoy said." **

"**Yeah…" said Ron slowly. **

"**And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly. **

"Wow, your already putting the pieces together." Alice said admiringly.

"**So?"**

"Come on! Get with it laddie." Moody growled.

"**Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione. **

This made everyone snicker, even Moody barked out in laughter.

"**We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything — where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it — the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?" **

Moody grunted in approval. He too had the same train of thought.

"**That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary." **

"He should know not to doubt Harry or Mia by now." Amelia shook her head.

**But Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag. **

"**It might be invisible ink!" she whispered. **

"Of course." Narcissa face palmed "How could I forget."

Hermione smiled softly at her cousin.

Charlus looked a little skeptical but didn't voice his thoughts.

**She tapped the diary three times and said, **_**"Aparecium!" **_

**Nothing happened.**

Narcissa slumped back in disappointment.

"It was a good theory; we need to look at things at all angles. Don't let one dead end bring you down." Charlus smiled.

Narcissa took on the advice with a smile.

**Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand back into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser. **

"**It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said. **

"Good idea but wouldn't work against anything dark." Henry sighed.

"What about a blood bond of some sort, that only allows the owner to read it?" Sirius suggested.

"It's a possibility." Henry noted.

**She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened. **

"**I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in." **

"He shouldn't brush off these ideas so easily. At least they were looking at all possible options and were open to ideas. Think about it, why would a random diary appear fifty years in to the future without any reason?" Severus snorted.

**Harry couldn't explain, even to himself, why he didn't just throw Riddle's diary away. The fact was that even though he knew the diary was blank, he kept absentmindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it were a story he wanted to finish. **

"Could the diary have a compulsion charm on it? It could possibly be the reason behind the last owner wanting to flush it?" Amelia asked.

"That is another possibility." Albus confirmed.

Hermione and Luna shared and look, they have theorised this as well in the past.

**And while Harry was sure he had never heard the name T. M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to him, almost as though Riddle was a friend he'd had when he was very small, and had half-forgotten.**

Both Hermione and Luna shuddered making the boys beside them look at them worriedly. _A friend?_They both thought. It was the hocrux inside Harry recognising another part of its self and trying to become whole. They didn't realised it affected him that much.

**But this was absurd. He'd never had friends before Hogwarts, Dudley had made sure of that. **

Lily and James growled.

**Nevertheless, Harry was determined to find out more about Riddle, so next day at break, he headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award, accompanied by an interested Hermione and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of the trophy room to last him a lifetime. **

No one moved to comment. They were all becoming used to his lack of interest, his offhanded rude comments and his strange fascination over Harry's fame.

**Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron).**

Luna shook her head fondly.

**However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys. **

"**He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy… probably top of every class —"**

"He says it like it's a bad thing." Frank said clearly offended.

The other past and present head students and prefects also felt offended.

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's just unfortunate that Molly holds being prefect and head student as something highly favourable in their family. If you didn't achieve that position it was unacceptable. Because Percy was Mollys favourite, the other siblings are quite bitter, when he flaunts it." Luna explained.

"**You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione in a slightly hurt voice. **

"You are who you are because of what you have achieved and done. Don't let that change you." Albus comforted.

Hermione blushed shyly and whispered her thanks.

**The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.**

Alice bopped in her seat excitedly, making all her friends new and old smile.

"**The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again,"**

"Isn't it fascinating? It's like they experience all the stages of human life." She said eyes sparking making Frank chuckle.

**Harry heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time." **

"Poor Mrs Norris." Luna whimpered. Severus smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze.

**Perhaps the Heir of Slytherin had lost his or her nerve, thought Harry. It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious. Perhaps the monster, whatever it was, was even now settling itself down to hibernate for another fifty years… **

"That wouldn't have fixed the problem. It would have only prolonged it. Who's to say in another fifty years the chamber wouldn't be opened again?" Lucius interrupted himself.

The elders couldn't help but agree as the teens became fearful.

**Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view. He was still convinced that Harry was the guilty one, that he had "given himself away" at the Dueling Club.**

"He doesn't belong in Hufflepuff. I'm happy that he's loyal to Justin and all but we are meant to be fair and loyal to all. We sit back and survey we aren't normally ones to make judgement." Alice said disgusted.

**Peeves wasn't helping matters; he kept popping up in the crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter…" now with a dance routine to match. **

The male Potters laughed trying to imagine the song and dance.

"You've got to admit, it is quite catchy." Luna giggled.

**Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. Harry overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration. "I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him. **

"You can't be serious?" Henry snorted.

"He's not but I am." Sirius smirked, causing everyone to groan.

"Honestly Padfoot, that's getting old. That was cool back in first year." Remus sighed.

Sirius sulked with his arms crossed.

"I thought it was funny." Hermione whispered making him smile like a goofball.

"**You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing…" **

**He tapped his nose again and strode off. **

"Git." Remus muttered.

**Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February fourteenth. **

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Amelia paled.

"Lockhart's involved. Enough said." Alice replied.

"I pity you." Amelia said to the time travelers who giggled.

"Good thing we don't have much of the book left, otherwise I think I'm going to turn stupid." James commented.

"You're already there dear. A few more chapters won't make a difference." Lily teased making everyone laugh, while James glared at everyone.

**Harry hadn't had much sleep because of a late-running Quidditch practice the night before, and he hurried down to the Great Hall, slightly late. He thought, for a moment, that he'd walked through the wrong doors. **

"So did I." Luna and Hermione said simultaneously making them grin.

"Oh God. What's he done?" Lily said fearfully.

**The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.**

All the males in the room look disgusted while the females were gobsmacked

**Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ron was sitting looking sickened, and Hermione seemed to have been overcome with giggles.**

"I think twins slipped something in to my drink." Hermione blushed.

The others accepted it but Sirius still gave her an odd look making her blush brighter.

"It could be the Nargles but then again it is a bit early for Nargle season." Luna said randomly.

Making Hermione laugh at everyones expressions.

"**What's going on?" Harry asked them, sitting down and wiping confetti off his bacon. **

"Not the bacon." Sirius whined.

"You and your food." Hermione said with a fond smile.

The others looked on in amusement.

**Ron pointed to the teachers' table, apparently too disgusted to speak. Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations,**

Albus chuckled because today, he too supported pink robes making the males in the room avoid his eyes.

**was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro. **

The teens tried to stifle their snickers but it didn't last long and erupted out in laughter. They can only imagine _Snape_ and Minerva's faces.

"**Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!**

"Kitten, I hope you weren't one of the forty-six." James said giving his sister an odd look.

"Need I repeat? I was twelve, impressionable and too stubborn to admit I was wrong." Hermione scowled. "…and don't call me Kitten."

The Marauders and Slytherin males grinned evilly at the new nickname. This made Hermione and the Elders groan.

**Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn't end here!" **

"What now?" Remus groaned in to a cushion.

**Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps. **

"Those poor dwarves." Luna said sadly. Severus chuckled and patted her knee softly.

"**My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! **

This made Severus a few people snort.

"Why would he encourage such a thing?" Augusta shrilled.

"Mother, this is Lockhart we're talking about. Why are you surprised?" Frank said pointedly.

Glares were sent in Albus' direction once again.

**And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!" **

"He didn't." Lily gasped.

"How embarrassing for Professor Flitwick. He's always up for a bit of fun but Lockhart just totally humiliated him." Amelia tutted.

**Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.**

"He's really asking for it isn't he?" Regulus chuckled.

"**Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her schedule and didn't answer. **

Everyone laughed as the Hermione in the room suddenly found the hem of her dress interesting. Sirius chuckled softly and kissed the crown of her head.

**All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for Charms, one of the dwarfs caught up with Harry. **

"Excellent. I've been waiting for this bit." Hermione grinned evilly whilst rubbing her hands together. Luna erupted out in laughter at Hermione's grin and at the reminder of what was to come. The others looked on eagerly as Lucius continued to read.

"**Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry. **

The elder females frowned.

**Hot all over at the thought of being given a valentine in front of a line of first years, which happened to include Ginny Weasley, Harry tried to escape. **

"Poor Harry." Lily giggled.

"5 Galleons says that it's from young Ginny." Sirius grinned.

"Really Siri?" Narcissa said giving him a 'Na Duh' look. He gave her a sheepish smile and put his money away.

**The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins, and reached him before he'd gone two paces. **

"**I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way. **

The Marauders joined in with Luna and Hermione's evil grin.

"**Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape.**

"Not going to happen." Remus laughed.

"**Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back. **

"**Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging. **

**With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottle smashed over everything. **

"Is that really necessary?" Minerva sniffed.

"They're dwarves Minnie. I don't think they really care." Moody grunted.

"Alastor!" She hissed making everyone laugh. The Marauders gave Moody a thumbs up each which he acknowledged with a wink.

**Harry scrambled around, trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a holdup in the corridor. **

"**What's going on here?" came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.**

"Great." Narcissa said sourly.

**Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away before Malfoy could hear his musical valentine.**

"**What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice as Percy Weasley arrived. **

"It's just not Harry's day is it?" Amelia smiled softly.

**Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.**

"Oi!" James hissed. "Let up a little. No need to get aggressive."

"**Right," he said, sitting on Harry's ankles.**

"You've got to give the little guy props though, he's determined." Charlus chuckled.

"**Here is your singing valentine: **

_**His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, **_

_**His hair is as dark as a blackboard, **_

_**I wish he was mine, **_

_**he's really divine, **_

_**The hero who conquered the Dark Lord **_

All the females cooed, while the males laughed out loud. Hermione and Luna were practically clutching on to each other in laughter.

**Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot. **

All the male teens snorted.

**Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else, he got up, his feet numb from the weight of the dwarf, as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth. **

"It was the talk of the day." Luna giggled. "Harry looked so embarrassed; he looked ready to hurl himself off the Astronomy tower."

Everyone chuckled at the imaging.

"**Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away. "And you, Malfoy —" **

**Harry, glancing over, saw Malfoy stoop and snatch up something. Leering, he showed it to Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry realized that he'd got Riddle's diary. **

Everyone tensed.

"**Give that back," said Harry quietly.**

"**Wonder what Potter's written in this?" said Malfoy, who obviously hadn't noticed the year on the cover and thought he had Harry's own diary. A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Harry, looking terrified. **

"It belongs to Ginny!" Frank face palmed. "Why didn't I see it before? She left her diary behind and they had to turn back and get it. Now suddenly the diary has re-appeared. There is much more to the diary then we realised."

"You might be right." Moody grunted approvingly.

Lucius glared at the book in his lap, he had a feeling he was somehow responsible but how did he plant the diary? He didn't know who Tom Riddle was, how did he get it in the first place?

The elders shared a fearful look. _How did Ginny Weasley have access to Tom Riddles diary?_ This made them all uneasy.

"**Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly. **

"**When I've had a look," said Malfoy, waving the diary tauntingly at Harry.**

"Git." Muttered all the teens.

**Percy said, "As a school prefect —" but Harry had lost his temper. He pulled out his wand and shouted, **_**"Expelliarmus!" **_**and just as Snape had disarmed Lockhart, so Malfoy found the diary shooting out of his hand into the air. Ron, grinning broadly, caught it. **

All the teens cheered.

"**Harry!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!" **

"Shut up!" They growled.

**But Harry didn't care, he was one-up on Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day. Malfoy was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!" **

"Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Narcissa hissed angrily. She was ready to put that son of hers over her knee.

**Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but Harry pulled him away. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching slugs. **

This made everyone nod in approval. Once again Amelia looked a little green at the reminder.

**It wasn't until they had reached Professor Flitwick's class that Harry noticed something rather odd about Riddle's diary. All his other books were drenched in scarlet ink. The diary, however, was as clean as it had been before the ink bottle had smashed all over it.**

Everyone gasped.

"I don't like this." Minerva muttered darkly.

Albus hummed his agreement and wrote this down.

**He tried to point this out to Ron, but Ron was having trouble with his wand again; large purple bubbles were blossoming out of the end, and he wasn't much interested in anything else. **

Alice, Hermione and Luna sighed.

**Harry went to bed before anyone else in his dormitory that night. This was partly because he didn't think he could stand Fred and George singing, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad" one more time,**

This cleared up a bit of the tension in the room and when people laughed.

**and partly because he wanted to examine Riddle's diary again, **

This instantly shut everyone up.

**and knew that Ron thought he was wasting his time.**

**Harry sat on his four-poster and flicked through the blank pages, not one of which had a trace of scarlet ink on it. Then he pulled a new bottle out of his bedside cabinet, dipped his quill into it, and dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary. **

**The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished.**

Charlus swore loudly, earning him a smack on the head from his wife.

Lucius blanched, his voice trembled as he continued.

**Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter." **

"Don't do that!" Moody barked.

**The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too, sank without trace. Then, at last, something happened. **

**Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words Harry had never written. **

"**Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?" **

Everyone gasped.

"IT'S POSSESSED!" Dorea shrilled.

"The first thing any witch or wizard is taught at a young age is not to talk to things that can talk or think back unless you know what it is." Charlus said darkly. "Unfortunately, young Harry wasn't taught this because of his muggle upbringing."

"If they diary belonged to Ginny, she should have told an adult! How could she have let this go on for so long?" Augusta said weakly.

Hermione and Luna remained silent. They had no words and knew that Ginny had done wrong. Because of the loneliness of being the only female daughter and the pressure it was her comfort. They did agree with the elders and thought Ginny should have sort help earlier, unfortunately she was headstrong and stubborn like her mother. It wasn't until later where she realised she was being possessed that she tried to be rid of the diary but by then things were too late.

**These words, too, faded away, but not before Harry had started to scribble back. **

"**Someone tried to flush it down a toilet." **

**He waited eagerly for Riddle's reply. **

"**Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read." **

Hisses were heard from the elders. _Not good._ They all thought.

"**What do you mean?" Harry scrawled, blotting the page in his excitement. **

"**I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."**

"**That's where I am now," Harry wrote quickly. "I'm at Hogwarts, and horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?" **

"Too curious for his own good." Charlus sighed.

**His heart was hammering. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew. **

"**Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. **

Charlus, Henry and Moody started muttering under their breaths.

**A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned." **

The teens didn't know what to think. Something just did not seem right and the elders weren't telling them.

**Harry nearly upset his ink bottle in his hurry to write back. **

"The compulsion spell must be strong. It's reeling him in." Dorea whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"**It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?" **

"**I can show you, if you like, "came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him." **

All the elders looked ready to kill.

"I don't like the sound of this. Please don't listen to him Harry." Lily begged.

**Harry hesitated, his quill suspended over the diary. What did Riddle mean? How could he be taken inside somebody else's memory? He glanced nervously at the door to the dormitory, which was growing dark. When he looked back at the diary, he saw fresh words forming. **

"**Let me show you." **

"He's a bit pushy." Regulus frowned.

"He was but he'd do it unknowingly to those around him. Tom was very charismatic and he liked to use it to his advantage." Dorea confirmed.

**Harry paused for a fraction of a second and then wrote two letters. **

**OK **

"NO!" Everyone yelled.

**The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. Mouth hanging open, Harry saw that the little square for June thirteenth seemed to have turned into a miniscule television screen. His hands trembling slightly, he raised the book to press his eye against the little window, and before he knew what was happening, he was tilting forward; the window was widening, he felt his body leave his bed, and he was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of color and shadow.**

**He felt his feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around him came suddenly into focus. **

**He knew immediately where he was. This circular room with the sleeping portraits was Dumbledore's office — but it wasn't Dumbledore who was sitting behind the desk. A wizened, frail-looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter by candlelight.**

"That was our headmaster, Armando Dippet." Henry muttered.

**Harry had never seen this man before. **

"**I'm sorry," he said shakily. "I didn't mean to butt in —" **

**But the wizard didn't look up. He continued to read, frowning slightly. Harry drew nearer to his desk and stammered, "Er — I'll just go, shall I?" **

**Still the wizard ignored him. He didn't seem even to have heard him. **

"It's just a memory. He won't hear him." Charlus explained.

**Thinking that the wizard might be deaf, Harry raised his voice. **

"**Sorry I disturbed you. I'll go now," he half-shouted.**

**The wizard folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Harry without glancing at him, and went to draw the curtains at his window. **

**The sky outside the window was ruby-red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down, and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door. **

**Harry looked around the office. No Fawkes the phoenix — no whirring silver contraptions. This was Hogwarts as Riddle had known it, meaning that this unknown wizard was Headmaster, not Dumbledore, and he, Harry, was little more than a phantom, completely invisible to the people of fifty years ago.**

**There was a knock on the office door.**

"**Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice. **

**A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Harry, but he, too, had jet-black hair. **

All the elders tensed at the familiar description.

"I think its best that we don't make any more interruptions until the chapter end. The next few moments are extremely important. Make as many notes as possible, a lot of vital information is to be revealed." Luna said seriously. This was different to her usual dreamy state which made everyone nod and prepare themselves.

"**Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster. **

"**You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous. **

"**Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me." **

"**Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly. **

"**My dear boy," said Dipper kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"**

"**No," said Riddle at once. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that — to that —" **

"**You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously. **

"**Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly. **

"**You are Muggle-born?" **

"**Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother." **

"**And are both your parents —?" **

"**My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me — Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather." **

A few people raised their eyebrows but did not interrupt as requested.

**Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically. **

"**The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "Special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances…" **

"**You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle, and Harry's heart leapt, and he moved closer, scared of missing anything. **

Everyone mimicked him.

"**Precisely," said the headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the — er — source of all this unpleasantness…" **

_Someone dying is a source of Unpleasantness?_ Lily scoffed angrily. She always had respect for her elders and teachers but this Dippet fellow just lost her respect.

**Riddle's eyes had widened.**

"**Sir — if the person was caught — if it all stopped —" **

"**What do you mean?" said Dippet with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?" **

"**No, sir," said Riddle quickly. **

**But Harry was sure it was the same sort of "no" that he himself had given Dumbledore. **

A few people snorted but nodded at the same time.

**Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed. **

"**You may go, Tom…" **

**Riddle slid off his chair and slouched out of the room. Harry followed him.**

**Down the moving spiral staircase they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkening corridor. Riddle stopped, and so did Harry, watching him. Harry could tell that Riddle was doing some serious thinking. He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed. **

**Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision, he hurried off, Harry gliding noiselessly behind him. They didn't see another person until they reached the entrance hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and a beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase. **

"**What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"**

**Harry gaped at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty-year-younger Dumbledore. **

A few more raised eyebrows were earned. Albus chuckled with that annoying little twinkle of his.

"**I had to see the headmaster, sir," said Riddle. **

"**Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Harry knew so well. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…" **

**He sighed heavily, bade Riddle good night, and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with Harry in hot pursuit. **

**But to Harry's disappointment, Riddle led him not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but to the very dungeon in which Harry had Potions with Snape. The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Harry could only just see him, standing stock-still by the door, watching the passage outside. **

Everyone was becoming nervous and feeling the suspense in the air.

**It felt to Harry that they were there for at least an hour. All he could see was the figure of Riddle at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue. And just when Harry had stopped feeling expectant and tense and started wishing he could return to the present, he heard something move beyond the door. **

**Someone was creeping along the passage. He heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where he and Riddle were hidden. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, Harry tiptoeing behind him, forgetting that he couldn't be heard. **

A few people snickered but it quickly dissipated due to the seriousness of the situation.

**For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises. **

People leaned forward in anticipation.

**Harry heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.**

"**C'mon… gotta get yeh outta here… C'mon now… in the box…" **

**There was something familiar about that voice… **

**Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Harry stepped out behind him. He could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.**

"**Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply. **

All the teens gasped, while the expression on the elders' faces darkened.

**The boy slammed the door shut and stood up. **

"**What yer doin' down here, Tom?" **

**Riddle stepped closer. **

"**It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop." **

"'**N at d'yeh —" **

"**I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and —" **

"**It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Harry could hear a funny rustling and clicking. **

"**Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"**

"**It wasn't him!" roared the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!" **

"**Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand. **

Lily gasped and grabbed on to James in fear.

**His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind the large boy flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite. And out of it came something that made Harry let out a long, piercing scream unheard by anyone. **

**A vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers — Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late. The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leapt on him, seized his wand, and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOO!" **

**The scene whirled, the darkness became complete; Harry felt himself falling and, with a crash, he landed spread-eagled on his four-poster in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary lying open on his stomach. **

**Before he had had time to regain his breath, the dormitory door opened and Ron came in. **

"**There you are," he said.**

**Harry sat up. He was sweating and shaking.**

"**What's up?" said Ron, looking at him with concern. **

"**It was Hagrid, Ron. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."**

"That's the end." Lucius muttered and marked the page putting the book down.

All the teens were stunned into silence. No one knew what to say. It was a few moments before the silence was broken.

"He framed Hagrid!" Remus roared making everyone jump. "How can you let him get away with this?"

Albus bowed his head guiltily.

"They had no proof. Unfortunately due to Hagrid's affinity to dangerous creatures, it didn't help his case." Hermione said sadly.

"It was Riddle. It was Riddle all along." James stuttered. "He's the one behind all these attacks. We can't lay blame on anyone but him."

"He needed a scapegoat and needed to find someone weaker and easily manipulated. It's just unfortunate that Hagrid fit that profile." Frank said sadly.

"He somehow planted the enchanted diary in the school and possessed Ginny. She's an innocent first year and would never knowingly petrify and attack her peers." Alice trembled with Franks arms around her.

"Obviously Riddle has some sort of self-important attitude about him and will stoop to nothing to get his way. What I want to know is why haven't we ever heard of him before?" Severus said smoothly.

"Riddle is definitely out there and making a name for himself." Moody growled.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked glancing at the elders for an explanation.

The elders looked to the time travelers and vice versa. After a few moments everyone nodded. Luna shrugged. "We're almost at the end and they're bound to hear about it anyway."

Hermione sighed and pulled out her wand. With a few waves of her wand the words: _TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE_ appeared. Luna pulled out her wand and waved it once and the letters started re-arranging themselves: _I AM LORD VOLDEMORT_

All the teens gasped out in shock.

_THUMP!_

"HELP!"

Everyone started and looked around for the source of the noise. What they all saw made them all erupt out in laughter.

Apparently it was all too much for Sirius. His anger, shock and the additional information has caused Sirius to pass out taking Hermione down with him. She was currently lying flat on her face with his much larger frame right across her back.

Dorea summoned her camera and took a quick picture.

"HEY! No pictures! Not funny!" Came a muffled shout but the laughter still didn't stop. "Someone get his fat ass off me! He's getting heavy."

Luna giggled and rolled the larger boy off her 'sister' much to the amusement of the others.

Hermione huffed and sat back on her seat then glared. "Thanks for nothing guys."

"No probs, sis." James saluted. He received a cushion to the face for his comment..

"Should we... ah… wake him?" Luna asked, nudging Sirius with her foot.

"I guess." Regulus sighed. He reluctantly walked over to the lump on the floor and whispered in his ear. "Sirius. Bella is here and if you don't wake up now, her and mother will be preparing a match between you and Milena Bulstrode."

Sirius shot up instantly, wand at the ready and waiting to pounce. This made the whole room laugh at his expense.

"That was evil." He glared at his brother only making them laugh harder.

"You're the one who passed out and decided to smother the mother of your child, to death with your fat ass. So if you want to blame anyone blame yourself." Regulus smirked as he scowled.

Sirius apologised cheekily, as Hermione scowled at him.

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her cousins and picked up the book to read the next chapter..


	18. Timeline & mini profiles

Hi all, I know the updates are few and far between and a few facts have been forgotten between the updates. A few of the readers are requesting character profiles and a timeline of the main events which have occurred between the time of the battle and now. If I have missed anything let me know. Hope the below clears things up. =]

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**15****th**** December, 1958:  
**_**Frank Henry Longbottom **_is born. Ravenclaw Keeper and Head-boy of 1977.

**27****th**** March, 1960:**  
_**James Charlus Potter**_ is born. He is the Head-boy of 1978.

**Mid-June 1978  
**The Marauders, Alice, Amelia, Lily and Severus graduate.

**19****th**** September 1979:**  
_**Hermione Jean Granger**_ is born. For the purpose of my story I have made Hermione's mother a squib who was adopted to muggles. Technically she is a muggleborn due to the fact that her parents do not have a magical core. Although some may argue that she would be a half-blood. By the time the final battle occurred, Hermione would be 18 years old (Technically 19, because of the use of a time-turner in her third year). However, due to the blood adoption potion she will be de-aged to suit her 'twin' James Potter (17-years).

**5****th**** June 1980:**  
_**Draco Lucius Malfoy**_ is born.

**30****th**** July 1980:**  
_**Neville Frank Longbottom**_ is born.

**31****st**** July 1980**:  
_**Hadrian(Harry) James Potter**_ is born. Harry's first name was changed slightly to sound more wizarding. We don't have much information about his ancestors or any of their names. I thought that it would sound more authentic and go with the tradition of naming their sons after their ancestors. Hadrian is a name I've been seeing through a lot of fics and actually think is a most suitable name for the Potter family line. As a result, I have chosen the name Hadrian for Charlus' father and for traditional purposes James has named his son after him.

**1****st**** September 1981:**  
Severus starts his professorship at Hogwarts as Potions Master.

**1****st**** October 1981**:  
_**Luna Celeste Lovegood**_ is born. We don't know much about Luna's family history nor the name of her mother. For the sake of her story I have chosen the name Celeste. In my research I can't find the description of her first wand anywhere and have made it up to suit the storyline [_ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy] _she is given the new date of 1st October 1959 as her birth date, making her 17 like Hermione due to the blood adoption potion.

**31****st**** October 1981**:  
Peter betrays the order. James and Lily are killed by Voldemort. Alice and Frank tortured in to insanity.

**1****st**** September 1991:  
**Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Draco starts their Hogwarts education.

**2****nd**** May 1998:  
**Final Battle at Hogwarts. Luna's father is also amongst the perished in the battle. Hermione and Ron they were better as friends than they were a couple Harry and Ginny get back together (Refer to Chapter 1 of MAD - book 1 for full explanations).

**Mid-May 1998:**  
Hermione and Blaise are formally introduced by Draco Malfoy. Harry, Ron, Neville and Draco join Auror academy.

**Late-June 1998:**  
Hermione finds out she is pregnant.

**16****th**** August 1998:**  
Zabini/Sinistra family are murdered.

**Early-September 1998:**  
Harry, Ron, Neville and Draco help capture the Carrows. Luna and Hermione go in search of Hermione's parents only to find they had perished in Australia (Refer to Chapter 1 of MAD - book 1 for full explanations).

**October 1998:  
**Ron and Neville find their other half (Refer to Chapter 1 of MAD - book 1 for full explanations).

**14****th**** February 1999**:  
_**Valentina Fleur Granger-Zabini**_ is born.

**2****nd**** June 1999**:  
Hermione, Luna and Valentina travel through time to 1977.


	19. Author Note - I'm a fail-whale!

**Author note:** SORRY GUYS! My laptop had short circuited over the weekend and I was only able to place it in for repairs today. Work is too busy for me to do any private things, I will try and upload in the up coming week or when I get it back from the repairers.

Also a notice to all those lovely spammers . As much as I love your messages of support and encouragement. I don't appreciate being flooded with messages on a daily basis to upload or threats of unsubscribing because I am not uploading enough. There is such a thing as real life and writing this fic is just a hobby and not my main priority. If you don't appreciate it I'm sorry to say this but that is your choice and your loss.


	20. Chapter 14 – Cornelius Fudge

**A/N: **Hi guys, its a chapter update! *gasp* My laptop is still in repairs, so here I am at 7pm on a Tuesday night (still at work) uploading you this little chapter. Not sure when I'll be able to upload next, since I'm still waiting on to hear back from the repairer.

Thanks for the favourites/follows and your patience and encouragement. Happy reading folks! Enjoy!

* * *

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**CHAPTER 14 ****- ****Cornelius Fudge**

"_Chapter Fourteen – Cornelius Fudge._" Narcissa read nervously, not liking the attention.

"It looks like the ministry is stepping in." Moody grunted.

"I don't like the sound of this. The ministry in the future sounds corrupt and isn't progressing. I hope his mentioned for the right reasons." Charlus growled.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures.**

_Typical Hagrid_. Everyone thought.

**During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, **

Chuckles. (Moldyshorts' involvement aside) It was funny now that they, thought about it.

**and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy."**

Everyone shuddered.

**And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it.**

"True." Henry chuckled.

**He'd probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs; Harry could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it.**

A few more chuckles and nods of agreement at Harry's vivid imagination.

**But he was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody. **

"Hagrid means well but he would never intentionally bring anyone harm." Augusta defended.

"Here. Here!" Everyone cheered passionately but quickly quietened when Valentina whimpered.

**Harry half wished he hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary. Again and again Ron and Hermione made him recount what he'd seen, until he was heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed. **

"Sorry Harry." Hermione said sheepishly. "I don't know about Ron but I was curious and wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything vital."

Moody grunted his approval.

"**Riddle **_**might **_**have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people…" **

"I didn't want to believe it but all the facts were pointing to him it was all so confusing." Hermione explained. "I should've known it wasn't true. He defended me so easily when Draco called me names and had been a great friend during my stay at Hogwarts so far."

"**How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully. **

"A lot." Luna and Hermione answered grimly.

"Do I want to know how you know this?" Minerva groaned.

"Nope." The girls replied, with identical grins. This made them all a little more anxious.

"**We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award." **

"The attacks stopped because_ Tom_, didn't want to go back to the orphanage. _Tom_ doesn't like half-breeds and believe them, lower than wizarding folk. He will allow them to fight for his side because it will benefit but they aren't important enough to have rights or status in his society. Unfortunately, Hagrid was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Getting rid of Hagrid was just another part of his plan to show how powerful he can be." Albus explained.

**Ron tried a different tack. **

"**Riddle **_**does **_**sound like Percy — **

"Percy may be ambitious and head strong but he wouldn't stoop to Voldemort's level." Alice muttered.

**who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?" **

"**But the monster had **_**killed **_**someone, Ron," said Hermione. **

Hermione winced.

"**And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here…" **

Everyone grimaced at the slight similarities between Harry and Tom Riddle's childhood.

"**You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?" **

"**He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry quickly. **

James beamed proudly. Harry was a true friend and would defend his friends to the end.

**The three of them fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice. **

"**Do you think we should go and **_**ask **_**Hagrid about it all?"**

"You could ask but he won't give you a straight answer." Henry replied. "The Chamber of Secrets is a very sensitive subject for him."

All the teens now understood the reasoning behind Hagrid's expulsion and don't blame him for not wanting to speak about it.

"**That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'" **

"That'd be pleasant conversation." Remus snorted.

**In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack,**

Hermione and Luna blanched.

**and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled. It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good. **

"The diary is definitely involved then. Harry found the Diary just after Christmas no attacks since. Ginny didn't have access to it so they diary, can't possess her." Frank said in realisation.

Moody grunted his approval, while Frank's parents smiled proudly.

**Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song, Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day, **

A few scoffs but nothing else was said.

**and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy. **

Alice too was very happy and bouncing around in her seat.

"**The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," she told Harry. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."**

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

**The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously. **

"I suppose someone has to." Minerva sighed.

"It is a serious matter and they should choose carefully. Any subjects chosen should help determine the career path of your choosing." Henry stated

"… **it could affect our whole future," she told Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks. **

Henry chuckled and winked at Hermione who giggled.

"**I just want to give up Potions," said Harry. **

Lily was saddened by that statement. She loved potions and had hoped that Harry would have something else in common with her son.

Severus looked down guiltily knowing it was his fault Harry disliked the subject.

"**We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts." **

"That's important, even basic knowledge in defence is vital. Everybody needs to know how to defend themselves, even if they are learning from the likes of Lockhart." Augusta frowned.

"Don't worry mother, the next DADA teacher is one of the best ones we've ever had." Luna replied.

Everyone looked up hoping for a further explanation but only received a smirk from the eccentric girl.

"**But that's very important!" said Hermione, shocked. **

"**Not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose." **

A few chuckles and laughs were shared at the reminder.

**Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.**

"Oh Neville." Alice sighed, while Frank rubbed her back in comfort.

**Dean Thomas, who, like Harry, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on.**

"_Important fact;_ Dean was a half-blood. His biological father was a wizard and had left his mother when he was very young. Mrs Thomas remarried and Mr Thomas adopted Dean as his own, hence the last name. He has a few half siblings but none are magical, which saddened him when he was younger." Hermione explained.

"Unfortunately, Dean didn't have proof that he was a half-blood (during the war) and was categorised as a muggle-born and was being hunted." Luna added. "It wasn't until after the war that he did an inheritance test at Gringotts. He discovered that he was from a very prominent wizarding family and didn't want to stake any claim on the line since it had died out. He always said that Mr Thomas was his father and the only thing he and his biological family have in common, was their genetic make-up."

Everyone was shocked by the new information and couldn't help but wonder whom Dean's biological father may be.

**Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything. **

"Kitten, have you gone insane? There aren't enough hours in the day to do all that. You'll work yourself too hard and make yourself sick!" James said wide-eyed.

Hermione grimaced. "I do realise it was a lot of work but it all worked out in the end."

"Did you think that wise dear?" Dorea frowned.

"I was a little on edge but it was worth it, you'll see." Hermione smiled softly. It was nice having a nice caring mother once again. She really did miss her own and could never replace her but it was nice knowing she had another mother figure.

**Harry smiled grimly to himself at the thought of what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say if he tried to discuss his career in wizardry with them. **

Lily's nose wrinkled in disgust when she pictured that in her head. _What happened to her Tuney? Did her sister really hate her that much?_

**Not that he didn't get any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience. **

This earned a few raised a few interested eyebrows.

"**Depends where you want to go, Harry," he said. "It's never too early to think about the future, so I'd recommend Divination.**

"Actually I take that back. I regret taking Divination; it was a whole load of rubbish and a waste of time." Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"You'll see, next book. It's quite entertaining." Luna laughed at the expressions on their faces.

Hermione was mumbling to herself about overgrown dragonflies and delusional fakes, making Luna laugh harder.

**People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community, particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them — look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths, Harry." **

"That is pretty good advice." Charlus commented.

**But the only thing Harry felt he was really good at was Quidditch. In the end, he chose the same new subjects as Ron, feeling that if he was lousy at them, at least he'd have someone friendly to help him. **

This made everyone groan.

"I don't think that would have been a good idea. Ron sounds like he would have just chosen subjects to give him an easy pass." Remus sighed.

"He gets that from you." Lily growled at James whacking him with a cushion.

James _**tried**_ apologising which made Lily whack him harder.

**Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff.**

All the Quidditch fanatics cheered. James though a little weaker than usual due to a mild headache from the abuse.

At all the cheering, Valentina made her presence known and cooed from her rocker. Sirius got up eagerly and picked her up while Hermione prepared a bottle for her feed, since it had been a while since her last feed.

Luna glanced at her sister worriedly, knowing what was to come.

**Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner, so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework. However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday's match he went up to his dormitory to drop off his broomstick feeling Gryffindor's chances for the Quidditch cup had never been better. **

This time all the Gryffindor's cheered. Sirius yelped when Valentina dribbled milk on his shirt, at all the excitement. This made the elders and Hermione laugh. _Ah, the joys of fatherhood_, Charlus and Henry thought.

**But his cheerful mood didn't last long. At the top of the stairs to the dormitory, he met Neville Longbottom, who was looking frantic.**

"What's happened now?" Alice asked worriedly.

"**Harry — I don't know who did it — I just found —" **

**Watching Harry fearfully, Neville pushed open the door. **

**The contents of Harry's trunk had been thrown everywhere. His cloak lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had been pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress. **

Everyone gasped.

**Harry walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls. As he and Neville pulled the blankets back onto his bed, Ron, Dean, and Seamus came in. Dean swore loudly.**

"**What happened, Harry?"**

"**No idea," said Harry. But Ron was examining Harry's robes. All the pockets were hanging out.**

"**Someone's been looking for something," said Ron. "Is there anything missing?" **

**Harry started to pick up all his things and throw them into his trunk. It was only as he threw the last of the Lockhart books back into it that he realized what wasn't there. **

"**Riddle's diary's gone," he said in an undertone to Ron. **

"It's the compulsion charm. Ginny was searching for the diary." Regulus observed.

Everyone caught his train of thought and didn't disagree with him.

"**What?" **

**Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Ron followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called **_**Ancient Runes Made Easy**_**.**

"One of Mia's favourite subjects." Luna said randomly. This made everyone smile, while Hermione giggled at her friend.

**Hermione looked aghast at the news. **

"**But — only a Gryffindor could have stolen — nobody else knows our password —" **

"**Exactly," said Harry. **

**They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze. **

"Perfect Quidditch conditions." James said bopping around in his seat, hoping it would cheer everyone up.

Everyone chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"**Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table,**

"Mimi, your boyfriend is copying me!" James pouted, to everyones amusement.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at her '_twin'_.

**loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast." **

All the Quidditch fanatics hummed in agreement.

**Harry had been staring down the packed Gryffindor table, wondering if the new owner of Riddle's diary was right in front of his eyes.**

"Oh come on Son, its Quidditch! Try not to think about the Diary for a few hours." James whined.

Once again he was ignored by everyone but Valentina who gurgled at him whilst having a feed.

**Hermione had been urging him to report the robbery, but Harry didn't like the idea. He'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary, and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? He didn't want to be the one who brought it all up again. **

"That's a weak excuse. He just didn't want they diary to be discovered because of the compulsion charm." Charlus commented.

**As he left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect his Quidditch things, another very serious worry was added to Harry's growing list. He had just set foot on the marble staircase when he heard it yet again.**

"_**Kill this time… let me rip… tear…"**_

"Oh no." Dorea whimpered in to Charlus' shoulder.

Luna gripped Hermione's hand in preparation. This time the action wasn't missed by Lucius, Frank or Amelia, which made them instantly worried for their new friends.

**He shouted aloud and Ron and Hermione both jumped away from him in alarm. **

"He gave me a bit of a fright, we were just walking along going about our business and he lets an all mighty yelp. We thought he stepped on something or other and it was an instant reaction." Hermione explained meekly, at the looks she was getting.

"**The voice!" said Harry, -looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again — didn't you?"**

**Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead. **

"**Harry — I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"**

**And she sprinted away, up the stairs. **

Everyone turned towards Hermione, for an explanation. Her pale exterior stopped them from asking any questions and made them worried instead.

"**What does she understand?" said Harry distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from. **

"**Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head. **

"That's saying something. Ron doesn't know much apart from Quidditch and Food. Even so that's debatable." Luna snorted.

"**But why's she got to go to the library?" **

"**Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."**

Hermione rolled her eyes while everyone snickered.

**Harry stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great Hall behind him, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.**

"**You'd better get moving," said Ron. "It's nearly eleven — the match —" **

**Harry raced up to Gryffindor Tower, collected his Nimbus Two Thousand, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice, and as he pulled on his scarlet robes in the locker room, his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game. **

**The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics. **

**Harry was just mounting his broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone. **

"You got attacked, didn't you?" Lucius asked guiltily.

Hermione nodded while clutching Luna like a life line.

Everyone gasp, growled or sobbed; grabbing on to their partner. Even Minerva lost her cool exterior and grabbed on to the closest person who happened to be Moody. Regulus having no one offered to take Valentina for comfort. Sirius gave him an odd smile which looked more like a grimace(too afraid to talk) and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist.

"How are you going to help them now if you're petrified?" Alice said sadly.

"You're the brains of the trio. They need their Moony." Lily said tearily.

"You'll see." Luna smiled softly. "Never doubt Mia."

Narcissa's voice trembled as she tried to continue to read.

**Harry's heart dropped like a stone. **

"**This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick. **

"**But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play — the cup —**_**Gryffindor **_**—" **

**Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: **

"He needs to get his priorities sorted." James growled at his sisters' ex-boyfriend.

Hermione smiled at her brother, even though she was trembling. "He felt really bad when he heard the truth and apologised profusely."

"**All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where ****their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!" **

**Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her. **

"**Potter, I think you'd better come with me…" **

"You aren't blaming Harry are you?" Severus frowned

"I don't think so, I probably just wanted to bring him to the hospital wing. I would have known how close they were." Minerva assured.

"Besides anyone who thought him the heir, won't believe it now. Mia is his best friend. He wouldn't do that to her." Frank added.

**Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Harry saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object.**

"**Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley…"**

Everyone raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well, look at that. He does care." Regulus sneered.

"Ron can be quite considerate sometimes. It's pretty surprising when he is." Hermione admitted.

**Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being canceled; others looked worried.**

"Of course we were worried. We could sense something was wrong." Luna said softly.

**Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time. **

"**This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack… another **_**double **_**attack." **

More gasps.

**Harry's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered… Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair.**

**Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidentally asked for directions to the Slytherin common room.**

"That's Perfect Percy's girlfriend." Sirius snorted.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend."

"He was found coming up from the dungeons after her. Why else would he have been down there during Christmas?"

"Having an affair with Snape." This made Severus choke on his pumpkin juice, while the others snickered.

**And on the bed next to her was — **

"_**Hermione**_**!" Ron groaned. **

**Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy. **

Hermione shuddered at the imagery. Feeling a tense body wrapped around her she buried her face in his shoulder as she trembled.

"**They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them…" **

**She was holding up a small, circular mirror. **

"Merlin, it's a basilisk." Remus said fearfully.

"What?" Lily screeched.

"Think about it. Basilisks have the ability to petrify their victims. They can only kill if stared directly in the eyes. It just so happens the last time the Chamber was opened Myrtle died. Mrs Norris saw the eyes from the flooded water. Justin through Nick but Nick got the full blast but his already dead. The Ravenclaw and Mia had a mirror; they must have used that to defend themselves." Remus replied.

"He's right, all the pieces fit. They were all on the way to the match and no one could hear it but Harry. Mia must have realised it was a snake of some sort, if only she could hear it." Lucius paced in thought. "Doing what she does best, Mia goes to the library to confirm her suspicion and on the way to the back, she tells the first person she meets and conjures a mirror to look around corners just in case the snake was coming their way."

Dorea and Moody grunted

"How can the king of all serpents be roaming a castle like Hogwarts and not be found?" Narcissa hissed.

"You'll see." Luna trembled. Severus noticed this and pulled her on to his lap and wrapped his arms around her in comfort. Luna loved all animals but snakes she hated. Ever since meeting Nagini and seeing her slither around the castle during the battle, her fear only increased.

**Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione. **

"**I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case." **

"**All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher.**

This raised a few eyebrows but no one dared speak.

**All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed.**

This made James twitched slightly but he too agreed with the school's decision.

**There will be no more evening activities." **

**The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice,**

Hermione smiled softly and gave her head of house a tight hug. Minerva was a little shocked but sniffled nonetheless and returned the hug with a little pat to say she was okay.

"**I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward." **

"If Ginny was thinking straight, this would have been the opportune moment to come forward." Alice mumbled to Frank who nodded.

**She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately. **

"**That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, " said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin — why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause. **

This made all the Slytherins scowl.

"Lee doesn't mean it. He honestly means well, he was just scared for us all." Luna mumbled

They nodded in understanding but who could blame them for being offended? Once again they were being categorised and segregated all because of their house.

**Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned. **

"**Percy's in shock," George told Harry quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl — Penelope Clearwater — she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect." **

"It's his girlfriend. Of course he'd be in shock."

"It's not."

This made everyone roll their eyes at the two.

**But Harry was only half-listening. He didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone.**

Hermione whimpered in to Sirius shoulder. Sirius looked to Dorea for help but she only gave him a soft smile of encouragement.

**And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, he was looking at a lifetime back with the Dursleys. Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Harry now knew exactly how he had felt. **

"Harry would never have framed Hagrid or stoop to Tom's level to assure that he could stay at Hogwarts." Regulus sneered. He tried to keep his niece occupied with the dragon but he knew Valentina could tell something was wrong from her whimpering.

"**What're we going to do?" said Ron quietly in Harry's ear. "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?" **

"Unfortunately they might. Going by the chapter title, that is why Fudge has come in to the picture. He has to be seen doing something. Who else but to target but the person who was expelled because of the attacks last time around." Charlus sneered.

"**We've got to go and talk to him," said Harry, making up his mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start." **

"**But McGonagall said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class —" **

"**I think," said Harry, more quietly still, "it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again." **

This made Lily groan. _Why couldn't her son just listen just this once?_

**Harry had inherited just one thing from his father: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak.**

James and Charlus smiled softly.

**It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it. They went to bed at the usual time, waited until Neville, Dean, and Seamus had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fallen asleep, then got up, dressed again, and threw the cloak over themselves. **

Dorea closed her eyes praying to Merlin the boys weren't caught.

**The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't enjoyable. Harry, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity. Their Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard.**

This made everyone face palm.

**Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore.**

Severus mock pouted making Luna let out a little giggle from Severus' lap. This made everyone smile softly at the girl. Hermione's reaction they understood but Luna? What happened to make her tremble so fearfully?

**It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open. **

**It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak only when they were right outside his front door. **

**Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at them.**

A few people were shocked at Hagrids behaviour.

**Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him. **

"**Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you two doin' here?" **

"**What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside. **

"**Nothin' — nothin' —" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' — doesn' matter — Sit down — I'll make tea —" **

**He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand. **

"**Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Harry. "Did you hear about Hermione?" **

"**Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.**

**He kept glancing nervously at the windows.**

"Can you blame him? He knows the ministry is going to come after him." Henry murmured.

**He poured them both large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door. **

All of Hagrids friends shifted worriedly in their seats.

"They mustn't be seen!" Augusta fidgeted.

"They'll be fine dear. Harry is pretty resourceful in tough situations." Henry comforted.

**Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchanged panicstricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.**

"**Good evening, Hagrid." **

**It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man. **

This earned a few growls and glares at the book.

**The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler. **

Hermione and Luna snort. The worst Minister ever in history.

"**That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!" **

Everyone face palmed.

"He needs to know when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut. That mouth of his is going to get him in trouble one day." Moody growled.

Hermione and Luna couldn't help but agree with the seasoned Auror.

**Harry elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up. **

**Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge. **

"**Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act." **

"He hasn't done anything!" Remus snarled, trying to keep the wolf at bay. Amelia rubbed his back trying calm him.

"**I never," said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir —" **

"**I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge. **

The Albus in the room nodded with his book self.

"**Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something — the school governors have been in touch —"**

"**Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before. **

"It's because he knows the truth." Augusta said firmly.

"**Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something.**

"Seen to be doing something? He can't be serious?" Charlus yelled.

It was apparent how angry and upset everyone was, that even Sirius didn't do his lame _'Serious/Sirius'_ joke.

"How did this idiot become Minister in our future? This guy is a bloody moron." Narcissa said angrily before continuing.

The Slytherin teens all stared at Narcissa. She never swore and thought it unbecoming of a female to do so. They didn't know what to say to that.

**If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty —" **

"How dare he?" Augusta screeched. "Doing his duty? Putting a perfectly innocent man in Azkaban? What has the world come to?"

"This is only the beginning it gets worse." Hermione commented.

"That's funny he is all for doing his duty now but what about during Harrys fifth year? Where was he when we needed him to do his duty then?" Luna hissed, making everyone curious.

"**Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?" **

"**For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution.**

"Precaution?" Remus almost roared.

**If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology —" **

That earned a few snorts.

"Apology?" Moody scoffed "That will only make you look like more of a fool you already are."

"**Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid. **

**Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door. **

"What now?" Lily moaned. She didn't think she could handle any more _'excitement'_.

Narcissa read ahead to the next few sentences and blanched.

**Dumbledore answered it. It was Harry's turn for an elbow in the ribs; he'd let out an audible gasp. **

**Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile.**

Everyone turned to Lucius who suddenly turned the colour of Albus' beard.

**Fang started to growl. **

"**Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good…" **

"**What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!" **

"**My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your — er — d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin.**

Lucius winced as a few glares were sent at the book.

"**I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here." **

"**And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes. **

"**Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside.**

"WHAT?" A majority of the room yelled.

"With Dumbledore gone, they'll be attacks left, right and centre!" Moody growled.

The yelling startled Valentina making her cry. Sirius took her from Regulus and tried to calm her.

Narcissa quickly continued before things got out of hand.

**This is an Order of Suspension — you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school." **

"Like you care." Lucius sneered quietly to himself.

"**Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended — no, no — last thing we want just now." **

"**The appointment — or suspension — of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks —" **

"**See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?" **

"**That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted —" **

Lucius did the oddest thing, they've all seen yet (he was not allowed to apologise). He continuously smacked his face with the cushion until Narcissa pulled it away from him. Everyone looked on worriedly for Lucius' wellbeing.

**Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling. **

'**An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.**

"**Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."**

"**Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!" **

This made Hermione wince. She was glad that didn't happen this time around and there was only one death cause by basilisk.

"**Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy. **

"**If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside —" **

"Dammit Lucius." Regulus mumbled to himself.

"**But —" stuttered Fudge. **

"**No!" growled Hagrid. **

**Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold gray ones. **

"**However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." **

"What's that supposed to mean?" Augusta frowned.

"As long as people are loyal to Albus and the school, ask for help; the magic surrounding the school will always protect them." Moody answered.

All the teens looked at the old Auror in awe; they could now see why he belonged in Ravenclaw.

**For a second, Harry was almost sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered toward the corner where he and Ron were hidden. **

"Most likely did." Minerva glared at Albus. What was he up to now? He can't be expecting two teenage boys to solve the mystery behind the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter or not, it is too much pressure for a boy his age.

"**Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy, bowing. "We shall all miss your — er — highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any — ah — killins." **

"He was suspended not fired. Dumbledore will be back." Alice said confidently, all the teens cheered their agreements.

Albus' heart tugged a little at their loyalty.

**He strode to the cabin door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath, and said carefully, "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right. That's all I'm sayin'." **

Amelia shuddered at the mention of spiders, while a few of the teens looked on confused.

**Fudge stared at him in amazement. **

A few people rolled their eyes at this.

"**All right, I'm comin', said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, "An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away." **

Hagrids friends chuckled.

"Only Hagrid." Sirius said hoarsely.

**The door banged shut and Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. **

"**We're in trouble now," Ron said hoarsely. "No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."**

**Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.**

Lucius winced again as the chapter ended.

"Sirs and Missus. Juno is makings small lunch. One more chapter and you is having to eat." Juno said popping in to the room before the next chapter.

Everyone agreed as she popped back out and Narcissa handed the book to Regulus.


	21. Chapter 15 – Aragog

**A/N: **Hi all. Sorry about the long delay between updates. Real life had gotten the best of me and I had finally gotten my laptop back a week after my last post. I'm starting to have a bit of writers block but will definitely complete and upload this book as soon as I can.

I'm not sure when my next post will be, so, I will upload another straight after this. I had to re-upload the last chapter because I had noticed a minor (non-important) error which needed to be amended, otherwise it is still the same.

Thanks for the favourites/follows and your patience and encouragement. Happy reading folks! Enjoy!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 15 ****– ****Aragog**

Regulus read the next chapter title in confusion. "_Chapter Fifteen – Aragog_."

"What in the world is an Aragog?" Amelia asked, apprehensively.

"You don't want to know." Luna and Hermione shuddered.

This didn't soothe any ones nerves.

**Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses.**

"That sounds beautiful." Luna said dreamily.

"Merlin, I love his descriptions." Agreed Alice.

**But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Harry; **

"True. Hogwarts just isn't the same without Hagrid." Narcissa admitted.

"Or Dumbledore." Regulus added.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Hagrids friends smiled at the change, in the Slytherins.

**no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong. **

**Harry and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing. **

Hermione smiled softly at her friends.

"**We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off…" **

All the elders frowned. They understood the danger but that was going a bit overboard.

**With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled. **

"Sir, you're like what muggles call a security blanket. You make us feel safe and content. Without you there we feel exposed and vulnerable." Lily commented.

All the teens including the Slytherins smiled in understanding. Albus' bowed his head, flattered; at how much faith his students had in him.

**Harry constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to himself **_**"I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." **_**But what good were these words? Who exactly were they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared as they were? **

Did Albus know that Harry would enter the Chamber that year and possibly put his life on the line once again? Why must he always be so cryptic? It was starting to make her heard hurt. Luna thought hummed softly.

**Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand. The trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow.**

"With a Basilisk roaming around, I'd try and flee as well." Augusta whispered to Henry who snorted.

**Harry looked everywhere he went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron. **

Amelia agreed 100% with Ron. This made all her boyfriend/friends laugh at the expression on her face knowing her thoughts.

**They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors.**

"_Constant Vigilance!"_ Moody roared startling everyone.

The female elders all scowled at him, when he smirked. Hermione and Luna giggled at the reactions. Valentina imitated her mother from her father's lap.

**Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Harry found it very irksome. **

"While I must agree that the added security is for the best, you've got to agree with him. It definitely would get annoying after a while." Remus commented.

Minerva and Albus frowned. Why did they choose to up the security so late? That should have been at the first sign of attack.

**One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy.**

"Prat." Sirius growled.

Narcissa' lips pursed angrily. It was very unbecoming of someone of the Rosier/Black family line. Draco was showing signs of becoming like her sister Bellatrix and her aunt Walburga. This will not do.

**Harry didn't realize what he was so pleased about until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left, when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle. **

"He honestly needs new friends. I doubt they offer much in the conversation department." Severus sneered.

"**I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not troubling to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in…" **

Albus held his hand up to stop Lucius from apologising. Lucius flushed and bowed his head guiltily but nodded in acknowledgement.

**Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.**

"He didn't have to. Sev, would have been one of the first ones notified because he'd have to brew the restorative." Lily defended Severus who was feeling guilty.

"**Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't **_**you **_**apply for the headmaster's job?" **

This piked Severus' attention but he remained expressionless. _Headmaster?_ Maybe in the future of his teaching career goes according to plan.

"**Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough." **

"**Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job**_**— I'll **_**tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —" **

Lucius face palmed. _Just what he needed._

**Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron. **

This earned a few laughs.

"**I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger —"**

"DRACO!" Naricssa gasped, her eyes tearing; with a little encouragement Hermione cuddled with her cousin in comfort.

"I hope someone knocks him off his high horse before I find a way to travel to the future and strangle him." James growled.

"I'll help." Regulus hissed. He shrugged when he noticed his brother's shocked expression. Sirius nodded, tightening his hold on Valentina.

**The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky; at Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed. **

"**Let me at him," Ron growled as Harry and Dean hung onto his arms. "I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands —" **

"They should've let Ron hit him. It would have been worth the detention." Frank growled.

All the males agreed, feeling very protective of their new little family.

Hermione smiled softly her _'God brother'_. Frank winked at her making her blush. Sirius glared at Frank who smirked in return (when Hermione got up to return to her seat). The others rolled their eyes at Sirius' insecurities.

"**Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched, with Harry, Ron, and Dean bringing up the rear, Ron still trying to get loose.**

**It was only safe to let go of him when Snape had seen them out of the castle and they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses. **

Henry frowned. "I'm just as upset as everyone else but his temper is going to get him in trouble one day. He needs to rein it in."

"That and it can't be good for the blood pressure either." Severus scoffed, making the teens snort.

**The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin and Hermione. **

"Understandable. It just isn't the same, especially when something like that affected everyone in that room." Alice said softly.

No one disagreed with her.

**Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Harry went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found himself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan.**

Queue groans.

**Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well —" **

Everyone either rolled their eyes or scoffed.

"Took him long enough didn't it?" Sirius sneered.

**He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry shook it. **

"He is too forgiving. He shouldn't make that a habit. Second chances shouldn't be given so frivolously." Moody grunted.

"_CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"_ The teens shouted. Moody nodded his approval. This made all the elders groan.

**Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron. **

"**That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think **_**he **_**might be Slytherin's heir." **

"The kid doesn't learn does he?" Charlus chuckled.

"He's definitely going to gain himself a few enemies this way." Henry laughed.

"**That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry. **

Moody grunted his approval.

"**Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.**

"**No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared. **

**A second later, Harry spotted something. **

**Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting. Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears. **

"That's one way to get his attention." Alice laughed. "Like mother, like son aye?"

Lily blew a raspberry at her friends, while Amelia mock glared and clutched her wrist in 'pain'. The teens who were there laughed while the others looked amused.

"_**Ouch! **_**What're you —" **

**Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun. **

This made Amelia shudder, gaining laughs from her friends.

"**Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying, and failing, to look pleased. "But we can't follow them now —" **

Everyone face palmed.

"Honestly! These two wouldn't know subtle if it danced around in my mother's bloomers in front of them." Sirius commented, making those who knew Walburga Black look at him in disgust.

**Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously. **

**Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up. **

"**Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…" **

"Oh goody. Another trip to the forest." Lily said sarcastically.

"Is there ever a year where you, don't somehow end up in the forest?" Dorea paled.

Luna and Hermione raised an eyebrow.

Everyone groaned at the unspoken _"You'll see."_

**And Ron looked even unhappier about that. **

**At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.**

"Much better." Moody muttered. The elders shook their heads at his behaviour.

"**We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help." **

"Fang's a coward." Sirius snorted.

"They'd be better off with Fluffy." James agreed.

"My son is not going back near that monster!" Lily hissed whacking him with a cushion.

"Oi! I was only kidding." He scowled.

Regulus quickly continued before things got out of hand.

"**Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er — aren't there — aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom. **

The Marauders shifted uneasily in their seats, which didn't go unnoticed by Moody.

**Preferring not to answer that question, Harry said, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns…" **

"Not necessarily, centaurs aren't always the friendless creatures." Amelia said cautiously.

**Ron had never been into the Forbidden Forest before. Harry had entered it only once and had hoped never to do so again. **

"Yet, here he goes again." Lily sighed.

**Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him.**

"Git."

**Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant. **

"**Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"**

"Is he honestly that blind? Four students, a ghost and a cat have been attacked! An innocent man was put in prison and the headmaster was suspended. What the hell is wrong with him?" Dorea hissed. Charlus rubbed her back trying to calm her down.

**People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.**

"**Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away —" **

"Idiot."

"**Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly. **

"**My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.**

"Prat."

"SHUT UP SIRIUS/PADFOOT!" The teens yelled, making said Marauder grin sheepishly.

Valentina just smacked her father with her stuffed toy, as if showing her displeasure.

Yes he would. Hermione thought darkly, ignoring the commotion.

"**Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean. **

"**I flatter myself I know a **_**touch **_**more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr. Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone. **

"He better keep his mouth shut. Not only will he get himself in trouble but Harry too." Alice commented.

"Let's hope he does have some self-control." Henry replied.

**Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in midsentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk. **

"**We weren't there, remember?" Harry muttered. **

Luna and Hermione snorted.

"Harry to the rescue." Narcissa shook her head.

**But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Harry so much that he yearned to throw **_**Gadding with Ghouls **_**right in Lockhart's stupid face.**

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" The teens chanted.

**Instead he contented himself with scrawling a note to Ron: **_**Let's do it tonight. **_

They all pouted when Harry didn't act on his temptation but were eager to learn of the mystery of the spiders.

**Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded. **

Charlus was stunned with realisation. He loved Dorea with all his heart and would do anything for her. He knew that look all too well, "Ron's in love with Mia."

Luna and Hermione shared a look.

"He did and at one point I cared for him as well." Hermione confirmed. "After many years of friendship it was expected of us to be together and it was an automatic feeling. However when the time came, it just felt wrong. Our love for each other was more of a sibling relationship more than anything else."

Sirius did an internal happy dance at that declaration. James smirked knowing his thoughts.

"Imagine how weird it would be for Harry. He must be relieved. You're his sister in all but blood and dating his best friend. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if you bickered." Lily admitted.

"It'd be like Sirius and Remus getting it on and Jamie boy here is stuck looking on from the outside. Can you imagine that?" Alice said thoughtfully.

"ALICE!" yelled the teens, disgusted by the imagery.

Hermione wrinkled her nose as she placed Valentina in her rocker to play.

**The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because from six o'clock onward the Gryffindors had nowhere else to go.** **They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the common room often didn't empty until past midnight. **

Everyone sympathised when the students. There was only much you can do in the common rooms with nowhere to go. It must have been torture not being able to just escape and breathe a little.

**Harry went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk right after dinner, and spent the evening sitting on it, waiting for the room to clear. Fred and George challenged Harry and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap, and Ginny sat watching them, very subdued in Hermione's usual chair.**

"She's feeling guilty because she knows that she could have done something to stop it. That again was another opportunity she could have said something. People are distracted enough not to hear their conversation and the twins could have helped her." Severus observed.

**Harry and Ron kept losing on purpose, trying to finish the games quickly, but even so, it was well past midnight when Fred, George, and Ginny finally went to bed. **

"You know. I think it may have been the twins way of deterring them from doing anything dangerous. Thinking if they were distracted enough they'd be too tired to do anything reckless." Luna thought out loud.

"I wouldn't be surprised. The twins seem very protective of their siblings and friends. They must have known Harry or Ron might try something soon." Alice agreed.

**Harry and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak, throwing it over themselves, and climbing through the portrait hole.**

"Here we go." Lily whispered clutching on to James.

The others mimicked Lily and clutched on the person beside them. Regulus braced himself and continued.

**It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers. At last they reached the entrance hall, slid back the lock on the oak front doors, squeezed between them, trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds. **

"For a castle being under lock down and heavily patrolled, that seemed a little too easy." Henry frowned.

Moody grunted his agreement.

"'**Course," said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass, "we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow. Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction, but…" **

"He's trying to talk Harry out of it, hoping they didn't have to go after the spiders." Lucius shook his head.

"One could hope but it's not going to work. If Harry is anything like his parents, he'd be quite determined." Remus laughed.

Lily and James threw cushions at their so called 'friend'.

**His voice trailed away hopefully. **

Chuckles and snorts were heard.

**They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry-looking with its blank windows. When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them.**

"Poor Fang. He must have been so lonely without Hagrid." Alice cooed.

**Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together. **

Everyone laughed at their actions.

"I guess that is one way of doing that, a little unconventional but it works. They won't learn the silencing charm till at least fifth year." Frank chuckled.

**Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest. **

The elders and marauders groaned.

"He should have taken that with him. Never know when that would come in handy." Charlus sighed.

"**C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Harry, patting his leg, and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them, dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree. **

More laughs were shared.

"Maybe I should get Fang a doggy door for Christmas." Lily snickered.

Everyone agreed.

**Harry took out his wand, murmured, **_**"Lumos!" **_**and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders. **

"**Good thinking," said Ron. "I'd light mine, too, but you know — it'd probably blow up or something…" **

"Good idea." Minerva said coldly. It was clear that she was not amused by the Weasleys (Molly in particular), lack of financial control or care. With proper budgeting and scholarship funding, the Weasley children could have a much better life. Her pride will only create more issues and rifts within the family. It was already showing that the children are resenting their parents for it, particularly Ron.

**Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder, pointing at the grass. Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wandlight into the shade of the trees.**

Amelia shuddered as Remus tightened his hold around her waist.

"**Okay," Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst, "I'm ready. Let's go." **

"That was brave of him. Not many have the ability to confront their fears like that." Henry said impressed.

"His crush on Mia might have been a factor though." Frank pointed out.

"True."

**So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they ent****ered the forest. By the glow of Harry's wand, they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves. Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and Harry's wand shone alone in the sea of dark, they saw their spider guides leaving the path. **

"Oh no. I don't like this!" Lily whimpered.

"He makes it sounds so ominous." Alice shivered

"Everything is always scarier when it's just two first years, in a dark scary forest after midnight." Narcissa said, goose pimples appearing on her skin.

**Harry paused, trying to see where the spiders were going, but everything outside his little sphere of light was pitch-black. He had never been this deep into the forest before. He could vividly remember Hagrid advising him not to leave the forest path last time he'd been in here. But Hagrid was miles away now, probably sitting in a cell in Azkaban, and he had also said to follow the spiders. **

**Something wet touched Harry's hand and he jumped backward, crushing Ron's foot, but it was only Fang's nose. **

This earned a few chuckles but otherwise they remained quiet.

"**What d'you reckon?" Harry said to Ron, whose eyes he could just make out, reflecting the light from his wand.**

"**We've come this far," said Ron. **

**So they followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Harry could feel Fang's hot breath on his hand. **

"Other than a few comments here and there, where was Ron in all this?" Alice frowned.

"Probably as far away from the spiders as he can get." Luna replied.

"I don't blame him." Amelia shuddered.

**More than once, they had to stop, so that Harry could crouch down and find the spiders in the wandlight.**

Moody looked very impressed by Harrys natural ability to take lead and observe.

**They walked for what seemed like at least half an hour, their robes snagging on low-slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever. **

The elders gasped.

"That is the most dangerous part of the forest. What was Hagrid thinking?" Charlus growled.

"If he led them to where I think he did and something happens to those boys, Hagrid is going to be in so much trouble." Dorea said darkly.

All the females hummed their agreements making the males feel sorry for Hagrid. The teens looked on in confusion. _What was wrong with that part of the forest that got them all so worried?_

**Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making both Harry and Ron jump out of their skins. **

"**What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping Harry's elbow very hard. **

"That seems to be a common occurrence when someone is scared and Harry is there." Augusta observed.

"He is the bravest out of as all. He, like Albus makes us feel safe." Luna replied.

"**There's something moving over there," Harry breathed. "Listen… sounds like something big…" **

**They listened. Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees. **

"**Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh —"**

"**Shut up," said Harry frantically. "It'll hear you."**

"**Hear **_**me**_**?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!" **

"Not necessarily. It's common for Fang to roam the forest. The creatures there are used to his presence. Harry and Ron are strangers. If anyone should be quiet its them." Sirius said worriedly.

**The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence. **

"**What d'you think it's doing?" said Harry. **

"**Probably getting ready to pounce," said Ron. **

"Shut up Ron." Lily hissed.

**They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move. **

"**D'you think it's gone?" Harry whispered.**

"No." The teens muttered.

"**Dunno —" **

**Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that both of them flung up their hands to shield their eyes. Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.**

"**Harry!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief "Harry, it's our car!" **

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"_**What?" **_

"**Come on!" **

**Harry blundered after Ron toward the light, stumbling and tripping, and a moment later they had emerged into a clearing. **

**Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner. **

"The car's gone wild. Must be all the enchantments on it and the magic surrounding Hogwarts. It's like it's alive and has a mind of its own." Henry gaped.

"You've got to admit, it does sound kind of adorable." Narcissa giggled.

Everyone nodded.

"**It's been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild…" **

Everyone laughed.

**The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own. Fang didn't seem at all keen on it; he kept close to Harry, who could feel him quivering.**

**His breathing slowing down again, Harry stuffed his wand back into his robes.  
**

"Don't put it away laddie! No matter the situation, always have your wand ready." Moody growled.

"**And we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!" **

**Harry squinted around on the floodlit ground for signs of more spiders, but they had all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights. **

"**We've lost the trail," he said. "C'mon, let's go and find them." **

**Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind Harry. His face was livid with terror. **

"What now?" Lily whimpered.

**Harry didn't even have time to turn around. There was a loud clicking noise and suddenly he felt something long and hairy seize him around the middle and lift him off the ground, so that he was hanging facedown.**

Wide eyed, everyone clutched tightly to their partners. Amelia trembled recognising the description.

**Struggling, terrified, he heard more clicking, and saw Ron's legs leave the ground, too, heard Fang whimpering and howling — next moment, he was being swept away into the dark trees. **

**Head hanging, Harry saw that what had hold of him was marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching him tightly below a pair of shining black pincers.**

"ACROMANTULA?" Remus growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Hagrid is in so much trouble! Follow the spiders; I didn't think he meant MAN EATING SPIDERS!" James yelled, standing up in anger.

After a few moments of cursing at Hagrid (in many different languages by Sirius), Regulus was able to continue reading.

**Behind him, he could hear another of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron. They were moving into the very heart of the forest. Harry could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a third monster, whining loudly, but Harry couldn't have yelled even if he had wanted to; he seemed to have left his voice back with the car in the clearing. **

**He never knew how long he was in the creature's clutches; he only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for him to see that the leaf-strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. **

Angry muttering came from James who was pacing behind his seat. Lily and Remus were trying to comfort Amelia who looked almost faint.

**Craning his neck sideways, he realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene he had ever laid eyes on. **

**Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic. **

Sirius swore loudly and joined in the pacing.

**The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very center of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load. **

**Harry fell to the ground on all fours as the spider released him. Ron and Fang thudded down next to him. Fang wasn't howling anymore, but cowering silently on the spot. Ron looked exactly like Harry felt. His mouth was stretched wide in a kind of silent scream and his eyes were popping. **

**Harry suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped him was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke. **

"**Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!" **

"It can speak English fluently?" Frank said bewildered.

"Must have been Hagrids doing." Charlus replied.

**And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly.**

"Aragog must be the leader." Augusta trembled.

**There was gray in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind. **

"**What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly. **

"**Men," clicked the spider who had caught Harry. **

"**Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely. **

"**Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron. **

"**Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. **

"NO!" Everyone yelled.

"**I was sleeping…"**

"**We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry shouted. His heart seemed to have left his chest to pound in his throat. **

"Harrys body likes to do some very strange things." Luna said randomly.

Everyone laughed as this broke the tension in the room. James and Sirius took a deep breath and sat back down.

**Click, click, click went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow. **

**Aragog paused. **

"**Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," he said slowly. **

"**Hagrid's in trouble," said Harry, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come." **

"**In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Harry thought he heard concern beneath the clicking pincers. "But why has he sent you?"**

"Because Fudge is an idiot and without Dumbledore there, who else is going to fix this?" Severus sneered.

**Harry thought of getting to his feet but decided against it; he didn't think his legs would support him. So he spoke from the ground, as calmly as he could. **

"He should also be careful of what he says, we don't know how they'll react. This could turn nasty, fast." Dorea said cautiously.

"**They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a — a — something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban." **

**Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause, except applause didn't usually make Harry feel sick with fear. **

"**But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that **_**I **_**was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free." **

"**And you… you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?" said Harry, who could feel cold sweat on his forehead. **

Everyone face palmed.

"He won't like that." Minerva groaned.

"**I!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…"**

_Sigh. Only Hagrid would find a mate for an Acromantula_, was a common thought.

**Harry summoned what remained of his courage. **

"Gryffindor." More than a few people muttered.

"**So you never — never attacked anyone?" **

_Back then._ Hermione and Luna thought.

"**Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom.**

"It all fits. It definitely was Myrtle." Minerva's voice shook.

**I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet…" **

"**But then… Do you know what **_**did **_**kill that girl?" said Harry. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again —" **

**His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around him. **

"They've had enough. They need to get out of there!" Augusta said

Hermione and Luna paled remembering the clicking and rustling from the final battle.

"**The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."**

"So Aragog knew it was a Basilisk and could have told Hagrid, who could have told Dumbledore." Remus summarised.

Hermione and Luna nodded.

"**What is it?" said Harry urgently.**

**More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in. **

"**We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he asked me, many times." **

**Harry didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides. Aragog seemed to be tired of talking. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward Harry and Ron.**

"**We'll just go, then," Harry called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind him.**

"**Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not…" **

"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." Lily chanted, burying her face in James' shoulder.

"**But — but —" **

"**My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid." **

More swearing and cursing at Hagrid occurred.

**Harry spun around. Feet away, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads. **

"GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" James shouted.

**Even as he reached for his wand, Harry knew it was no good, there were too many of them, but as he tried to stand, ready to die fighting,**

Lily groaned.

**a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow. **

**Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Harry and Ron and the doors flew open. **

"GO CAR!" The teens cheered.

"**Get Fang!" Harry yelled, diving into the front seat; Ron seized the boarhound around the middle and threw him, yelping, into the back of the car — the doors slammed shut — Ron didn't touch the accelerator but the car didn't need him; the engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders.**

Once again people cheered.

**They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew. **

**Harry looked sideways at Ron. His mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore. **

"**Are you okay?"**

**Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak. **

"The adrenalins worn off and his going in to shock." Dorea sighed.

"This adventure certainly didn't abate his fears, if anything its only intensified." Lucius laughed.

"Certainly didn't help him at all. Harry says he still mutters about Aragog in his sleep, til this day." Luna giggled.

**They smashed their way through the undergrowth, Fang howling loudly in the back seat, and Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could again see patches of sky.**

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

**The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown into the windshield. They had reached the edge of the forest. Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Harry opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs.**

"Poor Fang." Alice cooed.

**Harry got out too, and after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff-necked and staring. Harry gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view. **

"I like this car." Sirius said goofily, making everyone laugh.

**Harry went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the Invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket.**

"I don't think he'll be returning to the forest any time soon either." Henry chuckled.

"Fang whimpers more so than before, whenever he goes near that forest, without Hagrid." Hermione said amused.

**When Harry got outside again, he found Ron being violent sick in the pumpkin patch. **

Everyone wrinkled their noses.

"Let's hope the pumpkins are washed thoroughly before Halloween." Alice grinned.

This made everyone slightly ill.

"**Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive."**

"**I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Harry. **

This made everyone roll their eyes.

"**That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!"**

"That's a little Harsh but Ron's right. Albus, I hope you'll have a word with him about his pets. He makes them out to be like fluffy bunny rabbits not realising, something that may be timid for a half giant is highly dangerous to normal humans. This is getting out of hand." Dorea said angrily.

Albus nodded and made note of the discussion.

**He was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know?" **

"**That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing the cloak over Ron and prodding him in the arm to make him walk. "He was innocent." **

**Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent. **

No one disagreed with Ron.

**As the castle loomed nearer Harry twitched the cloak to make sure their feet were hidden, **

Moody grunted in approval.

**then pushed the creaking front doors ajar. They walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase, holding their breath as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last they reached the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash. They took off the cloak and climbed the winding stair to their dormitory. **

**Ron fell onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. Harry, however, didn't feel very sleepy. He sat on the edge of his fourposter, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said. **

Another approving grunt. That is why he encouraged all his cadets and Aurors to write their statements right away while the memories are still fresh.

**The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, he thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort — even other monsters didn't want to name it. But he and Ron were no closer to finding out what it was, or how it petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets. **

**Harry swung his legs up onto his bed and leaned back against his pillows, watching the moon glinting at him through the tower window. **

All the male Gryffindor's smiled. They loved the few from their dormitory.

**He couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere.**

Hermione pouted internally. Did he doubt her?

**Riddle had caught the wrong person, the Heir of Slytherin had got off, and no one could tell whether it was the same person, or a different one, who had opened the Chamber this time. There was nobody else to ask. Harry lay down, still thinking about what Aragog had said. **

**He was becoming drowsy when what seemed like their very last hope occurred to him, and he suddenly sat bolt upright. **

"**Ron," he hissed through the dark, "Ron —"**

**Ron woke with a yelp like Fang's, stared wildly around, and saw Harry. **

"Poor Ron." Alice sighed.

"**Ron — that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Harry, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?"**

"He's got it." Charlus beamed proudly.

**Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too.**

"**You **_**don't **_**think — not **_**Moaning Myrtle**_**?"**

"That's the end." Regulus marked the page and put the book down.

"We better have a quick lunch before we continue. There shouldn't be many more chapters to go." Luna said getting up off Severus' lap and having a stretch.

Everyone nodded and headed towards the dining room. Hermione quickly checked on Valentina (who was still gurgling in her rocker) and left instructions with Juno, before heading off for lunch.


	22. Chapter 16 - The Chamber of Secrets

**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**CHAPTER 16 ****- ****The Chamber of Secrets**

With a quick lunch of assorted sandwiches, sliced fruit and cookies and pumpkin juice, the group headed back to the main room to finish off the last few chapters.

Once everyone was seated and settled (Valentina still gurgling in her rocker), Severus picked up the book and turned to the next chapter and read. "C_hapter Sixteen – The Chamber of Secrets."_

"We should be expected it by now, shouldn't we?" Dorea sighed.

"With the Lily and James' genetic makeup, he was doomed from the start." Alice said solemnly, bowing her head mournfully.

The couple just scowled at her as everyone laughed.

Hermione smiled sadly. If only Neville could see this side of his mother.

"**All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," said Ron bitterly at breakfast next day, "and we could've asked her, and now…" **

"It's not something that one would think to ask in normal civilized conversations." Regulus smirked.

"Can you imagine it? With how sensitive she is, it wouldn't be easy." Sirius said fearfully, making the others laugh.

**It had been hard enough trying to look for spiders. Escaping their teachers long enough to sneak into a girls' bathroom, the girls' bathroom, moreover, right next to the scene of the first attack, was going to be almost impossible. **

"From what I have seen so far, I don't think impossible is part of their vocabulary." Frank snorted.

"You know. Myrtles bathroom is being mentioned way too much in this book for my liking." Regulus commented. "Could the entrance to the Chamber be there?"

"I didn't notice that until now. It could be a possibility." Charlus looked thoughtful.

"How funny would that be? The legendary Chamber of Secrets, the lair of Hogwarts co-founder Salazar Slytherin is in the girls' bathroom and being haunted by Myrtle. Can you imagine our housemates' faces?" Narcissa giggled.

Everyone laughed at the visual imagery. Hermione and Luna remained quiet throughout all this.

**But something happened in their first lesson, Transfiguration that drove the Chamber of Secrets out of their minds for the first time in weeks. Ten minutes into the class, Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today. **

Quite a few people were outraged.

"They still had exams? How are they meant to study if going to the library is out of the question and its hard enough to concentrate in the common rooms as it is. With all the chaos going on and especially the fear of thinking they'd be the next, their marks would surely suffer." Remus said shocked.

Minerva frowned. _What was she thinking? _She should have seen it from their point of view.

"_**Exams?" **_**howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?" **

**There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk.**

"Oh Neville." Alice said fondly.

**Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned, frowning, to Seamus. **

"**The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard." **

There were a few snorts around the room. _Not going to happen._

**Studying hard! It had never occurred to Harry that there would be exams with the castle in this state.**

"You're not the only one." Charlus frowned.

**There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly. **

"**Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible, she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year." **

"While I believe we should keep functioning normally. It'd be selfish to expect decent results from the students this year Minerva. We should have known the students minds will be occupied elsewhere. I'd rather have the school temporarily closed then have their marks suffer." Albus commented.

**Harry looked down at the pair of white rabbits he was supposed to be turning into slippers. What had he learned so far this year? He couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful in an exam. **

Minerva looked down guiltily.

**Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest. **

This made everyone snort.

"**Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he asked Harry, holding up his wand, which had just started whistling loudly. **

Minerva pursed her lips but remained silent.

**Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.**

"**I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted. **

"**Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully. **

Albus once again smiled softly at how much faith the student body had for him. He didn't realize how much he appreciated it until now.

"**You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table. **

"**Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly. **

Everyone laughed at this, especially Hermione and Luna.

"I really like this kid." James laughed loudly. Sirius however scowled. Hermione made note to speak with him before the next book.

**When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last.**

Alice bounced around in her seat excitedly.

**Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. **

This made everyone happy knowing Hermione, will be awake soon.

**I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them.**

"We all know one person who could tell them." James beamed proudly at his sister.

"Like everyone else, they're probably expecting you to know all the answers." Narcissa smiled.

Hermione blushed but remained quiet, not wanting to give anything away.

**I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit." **

Although Ginny was under the influence and possessed by the diary, yet she had plenty of time to come forward. She was not punished nor had they sort out a mind healer. This made Luna and Hermione mind wonder. Things just didn't seem right and they suspected it was Molly manipulating Albus and Fudges' decisions.

**There was an explosion of cheering. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Draco Malfoy hadn't joined in.**

Lucius and Narcissa frowned. Why was Draco acting like this? Had they raised him to be so cruel?

**Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days. **

"**It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry. "Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over." **

Everyone but Hermione laughed. Even Valentina giggled as if knowing what was being said. Hermione pull a face at her making her gurgle back.

**Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. She looked tense and nervous, and Harry noticed that her hands were twisting in her lap. **

"Here we go." Frank said leaning forward. Everyone made a silent agreement to remain quiet.

"**What's up?" said Ron, helping himself to more porridge. **

**Ginny didn't say anything, but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table with a scared look on her face that reminded Harry of someone, though he couldn't think who. **

"**Spit it out," said Ron, watching her. **

**Harry suddenly realized who Ginny looked like. She was rocking backward and forward slightly in her chair, exactly like Dobby did when he was teetering on the edge of revealing forbidden information. **

"**I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry. **

"**What is it?" said Harry. **

**Ginny looked as though she couldn't find the right words. **

"_**What?" **_**said Ron. **

"Why must he be so impatient? Can't he see that she is suffering?" Amelia said, shaking her head.

**Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Harry leaned forward and spoke quietly, so that only Ginny and Ron could hear him. **

"**Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?" **

All the teens nodded, trying to encourage Ginny to speak.

**Ginny drew a deep breath and, at that precise moment, Percy Weasley appeared, looking tired and wan. **

"**If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty." **

Everyone groaned.

"SO CLOSE!" Sirius whined.

**Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and scampered away. Percy sat down and grabbed a mug from the center of the table. **

"**Percy!" said Ron angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!" **

**Halfway through a gulp of tea, Percy choked. **

"**What sort of thing?" he said, coughing. **

"Sounds like someone has a secret to hide." Sirius grinned.

"**I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say…" **

"**Oh — that — that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," said Percy at once. **

"**How do you know?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.**

"**Well, er, if you must know, Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was — well, never mind — the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I did think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, I'd just rather —" **

"She must have walked in on him snogging his girlfriend."

"He doesn't have one!" James retorted.

Severus ignored them and continued reading.

**Harry had never seen Percy look so uncomfortable. **

Luna giggled; she couldn't imagine an awkward Percy.

"**What were you doing, Percy?" said Ron, grinning. "Go on, tell us, we won't laugh." **

**Percy didn't smile back. **

"**Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving."**

Valentina's tummy rumbled as well, making everyone laugh. Hermione quickly conjured a blanket to cover herself to feed her.

**Harry knew the whole mystery might be solved tomorrow without their help, but he wasn't about to pass up a chance to speak to Myrtle if it turned up — **

"Of course." Lily sighed.

"Admit it Lils, he wouldn't be your son, if he wasn't at all curious." Amelia said rolling her eyes.

Lily resigned herself and nodded.

**and to his delight it did, midmorning, when they were being led to History of Magic by Gilderoy Lockhart. **

Queue whining and groaning.

**Lockhart, who had so often assured them that all danger had passed, only to be proved wrong right away, was now wholeheartedly convinced that it was hardly worth the trouble to see them safely down the corridors. His hair wasn't as sleek as usual; it seemed he had been up most of the night, patrolling the fourth floor.**

A few people smirked at this.

"**Mark my words," he said, ushering them around a corner. "The first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be '**_**It was Hagrid**_**.'**

The smirks instantly turned in to glares.

**Frankly, I'm astounded Professor McGonagall thinks all these security measures are necessary."**

All the elders shook their heads at his stupidity.

"Until the creature is caught, there is still a possibility of danger." Moody growled.

"**I agree, sir," said Harry, making Ron drop his books in surprise. **

"Ahh." James said catching on.

"**Thank you, Harry," said Lockhart graciously while they waited for a long line of Hufflepuffs to pass. "I mean, we teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard all night…" **

"**That's right," said Ron, catching on. "Why don't you leave us here, sir, we've only got one more corridor to go —" **

"**You know, Weasley, I think I will," said Lockhart. "I really should go and prepare my next class —" **

"More like curl his hair." Regulus snorted.

**And he hurried off. **

"**Prepare his class," Ron sneered after him. "Gone to curl his hair, more like." **

Regulus smirked. Maybe Ron wasn't so bad.

**They let the rest of the Gryffindors draw ahead of them, then darted down a side passage and hurried off toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. But just as they were congratulating each other on their brilliant scheme.**

"Don't get too cocky now. You aren't in the clear yet." Charlus shook his head.

"**Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?" **

"Damn, it's Minnie!" Sirius groaned.

"What's wrong with me, may I ask Mister Black?" Minerva asked, not showing how amused she really was.

"Nothing." He said sheepishly, while the others snickered.

**It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines. **

"**We were — we were —" Ron stammered. "We were going to — to go and see —"**

"Always have an alibi ready." Sirius tutted; James and Remus nodded along.

"**Hermione," said Harry. **

"Quick thinking." Moody grunted approvingly.

**Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him.**

"Let's hope Ron wasn't too obvious." Amelia giggled.

"**We haven't seen her for ages, Professor," Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Ron's foot, "and we thought we'd sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry —" **

"That's a good excuse and believable. Minerva is a big softy deep down. Besides, if given the opportunity, Harry would have visited Mia every day." Dorea smiled.

Minerva smiled back softly.

**Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice.**

"**Of course," she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye. **

The teens gaped.

"Why so shocked? I am human you know?" Minerva smirked.

All the teens looked sheepish.

"**Of course, I realize this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been… I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Granger. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. **

"Binns wouldn't have noticed." Remus grinned. "We plan our best pranks in that class."

Amelia and Lily sighed when both their boyfriends and their best friend had matching mischievous grins.

Hermione smiled fondly at the three.

**Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given my permission." **

**Harry and Ron walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention. As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.**

"**That," said Ron fervently, "was the best story you've ever come up with." **

"Nice to know thats she's good for. Someone to do his homework for him and an easy escape." Luna said bitterly.

Hermione and Sirius snorted.

**They had no choice now but to go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that they had Professor McGonagall's permission to visit Hermione. **

Moody nodded with approval. "Always cover your tracks."

"Thanks Harry. Love you too little brother." Hermione said sarcastically, as she fixed herself up and burped Valentina.

**Madam Pomfrey let them in, but reluctantly. **

"**There's just no point talking to a Petrified. person," she said, and they had to admit she had a point when they'd taken their seats next to Hermione. **

"You couldn't sense if you had visitors? Do you remember anything while you were petrified?" Alice asked.

"I couldn't really feel, hear or sense anything. It was just dark with no sense of time, like you were waiting for something to happen, like as if you were stuck in limbo." Hermione shuddered.

Everyone paled at that description.

**It was plain that Hermione didn't have the faintest inkling that she had visitors, and that they might just as well tell her bedside cabinet not to worry for all the good it would do. **

A few people chuckled.

"**Wonder if she did see the attacker, though?" said Ron, looking sadly at Hermione's rigid face. "Because if he sneaked up on them all, no one'll ever know…" **

"I just remember seeing a pair of big yellow eyes, reflected in the mirror. I didn't have any time to act before everything went dark."

**But Harry wasn't looking at Hermione's face. He was more interested in her right hand.**

_Finally!_ Hermione yelled in her mind, doing an internal happy dance.

**It lay clenched on top of her blankets, and bending closer, he saw that a piece of paper was scrunched inside her fist. **

Everyone leaned forward gaping in shock.

"How did no one spot this earlier? Wouldn't they have done a diagnostic scan to see if there are other injuries? How can they not notice a piece of paper?" Dorea growled.

"It could have just been missed dear. We don't know how tightly Mia held on to it." Charlus said trying to placate his wife.

Albus and Minerva shifted in their seats guiltily and made note to observe the school nurse closer, to ensure all procedures were met.

**Making sure that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere near, he pointed this out to Ron. **

"**Go on and get it out," Ron whispered, shifting his chair so that he blocked Harry from Madam Pomfrey's view. **

**It was no easy task. Hermione's hand was clamped so tightly around the paper that Harry was sure he was going to tear it. **

"I needed to make sure I didn't drop or lose it and it was big enough that Harry or a Professor would notice when they checked me over." Hermione shrugged.

Once again Dorea glared at the book.

**While Ron kept watch he tugged and twisted, and at last, after several tense minutes, the paper came free. **

**It was a page torn from a very old library book.**

"You tore a page from a book?" Amelia asked shocked.

"It was an important, Life or Death situation. I had to make sure who ever found the note had all the information." She replied innocently, while Remus and Lily looked scandalised

**Harry smoothed it out eagerly and Ron leaned close to read it, too. **

"_**Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it." **_

"Question, why would a book with this passage, describing how to create a basilisk be sitting in the normal reference section? Shouldn't something like this be in the restricted section or be banned from the library?" Frank pointed out.

"I'm not too sure. I'll be sure to find out what book it is and have it removed. You are right however, only the reference books should be available to younger students." Minerva glared at Albus.

**And beneath this, a single word had been written, in a hand Harry recognized as Hermione's. **_**Pipes**_**. **

"Bloody Brilliant, Sis." James beamed proudly.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Charlus agreed. "You were petrified, yet you were still able to help them. Pipes, who would have known? Well done, sweetheart."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks."

"The Pipes are within the school walls, that's how it's getting around. Because the Hogwarts is so heavily enchanted, the pipes can expand to fit such the large serpent without any ones notice." Lucius said thoughtfully.

This didn't soothe anyone's nerves.

Luna shivered. She is so glad she hadn't had the pleasure to meet the basilisk and was hoping she wouldn't have to any time soon.

**It was as though somebody had just flicked a light on in his brain. **

"**Ron," he breathed. "This is it. This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber's a **_**basilisk **_**— a giant serpent! **_**That's **_**why I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. It's because I understand Parseltongue…" **

"He's catching on." Remus nodded.

**Harry looked up at the beds around him. **

"**The basilisk kills people by looking at them. But no one's died — because no one looked it straight in the eye. Colin saw it through his camera. The basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified. Justin… Justin must've seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die again… and Hermione and that Ravenclaw prefect were found with a mirror next to them. Hermione had just realized the monster was a basilisk. I bet you anything she warned the first person she met to look around corners with a mirror first! And that girl pulled out her mirror — and —" **

**Rons jaw had dropped. **

"**And Mrs. Norris?" he whispered eagerly. **

**Harry thought hard, picturing the scene on the night of Halloween. **

"**The water…" he said slowly. "The flood from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I bet you Mrs. Norris only saw the reflection…" **

**He scanned the page in his hand eagerly. The more he looked at it, the more it made sense. **

Lily smiled, feeling proud of her future son.

"… _**The crowing of the rooster… is fatal to it"! **_**he read aloud. "Hagrid's roosters were killed! The Heir of Slytherin didn't want one anywhere near the castle once the Chamber was opened! **_**Spiders flee before it.! **_**It all fits!" **

"The lad solved it. He's got a good head on his shoulders this one." Moody grunted approvingly.

"Now all he has to do is tell someone of authority that they suspect Myrtle might know where the entry is and all they have to do is kill the basilisk." Lily said nervously.

Everyone became anxious; knowing Harrys actions from the last book, things are easier said then done.

"**But how's the basilisk been getting around the place?" said Ron. "A giant snake… Someone would've seen…" **

"The Pipes!" crowed the teens.

**Harry, however, pointed at the word Hermione had scribbled at the foot of the page. **

"**Pipes," he said. "Pipes… Ron, it's been using the plumbing. I've been hearing that voice inside the walls…" **

**Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's arm. **

"**The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" he said hoarsely. "What if it's a bathroom? What if it's in —" **

"It seems like Ron is finally getting in touch with his Auror skills, better late than never." Frank said to Alice, who beamed.

Everyone smiled at the ever hopeful Alice.

"_**Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," **_**said Harry. **

"Why hasn't anyone ever bothered to ask Myrtle?" Amelia asked. "I mean she was only one killed the last time the chamber was opened and only one able to bare a witness or could clue us in. I know she isn't the most pleasant ghost but death is her thing. She likes talking about it, I'm sure she would be willing to share any information she may have.

"I don't know." Minerva glared at Albus, who looked very uncomfortable.

**They sat there, excitement coursing through them, hardly able to believe it. **

"**This means," said Harry, "I can't be the only Parselmouth in the school. The Heir of Slytherin's one, too. That's how he's been controlling the basilisk."**

"Or Possession could do that too." Charlus mumbled.

Dorea scowled but knew it was the truth.

"**What're we going to do?" said Ron, whose eyes were flashing. "Should we go straight to McGonagall?" **

"**Let's go to the staff room," said Harry, jumping up. "She'll be there in ten minutes. It's nearly break." **

"I guess he hasn't lost complete faith in me." Minerva smiled softly.

"Never." Hermione and Luna assured.

**They ran downstairs. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around in another corridor, they went straight into the deserted staff room. It was a large, paneled room full of dark, wooden chairs. Harry and Ron paced around it, too excited to sit down. **

This made a few people smile.

**But the bell to signal break never came. **

**Instead, echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified. **

"**All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please." **

"What now?" Augusta whined.

Frank gaped at his mother. Never in his life has he ever seen the normally composed woman whine or remotely let herself show much emotion.

**Harry wheeled around to stare at Ron. "Not another attack? Not now?" **

"**What'll we do?" said Ron, aghast. "Go back to the dormitory?" **

"No. Stay in the staff room and wait for a head of house or Snape. We need all the information we can get." Minerva said sternly. She coloured brightly when she noticed that she was talking to a book and not Harry or Ron.

Everyone tried to hold back their snickers but Moody whose laughter rumbled around the room brought on their laughter. Minerva narrowed her eyes at them all (causing them to stop) but Moody continued.

Severus thought it was best he continued before a glare was sent his way.

"**No," said Harry, glancing around. There was an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teachers' cloaks. "In here. Let's hear what it's all about. Then we can tell them what we've found out." **

Everyone face palmed.

"That will look suspicious, if they were caught. Why does he always see fit to hide and sneak around when it's not necessary?" Dorea sighed.

"He was probably, blamed for everything that happens whether it be at the Dursley's or Hogwarts. It's probably a survival mechanism he has ingrained in to himself. If he can't be found he can't be blamed." Henry replied.

Once again everyone glared at Albus. They had all forgotten it was his fault that Harry was the way he is.

**They hid themselves inside it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open. From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived. **

"**It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself." **

People gasped, shouted and swore. Lily trembled; not coping knowing Harry was going to try and save the day.

Once everyone had calmed down somewhat, they sat in shock for a while. This wasn't something they had expected.

**Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?" **

"Maybe Snape isn't so bad after all. He really does care." Narcissa grinned.

Severus smiled in hope.

"**The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. **_**'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.' **_**" **

Alice whimpered, already having her suspicions.

**Professor Flitwick burst into tears. **

"**Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?" **

"**Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.**

Shock silence filled the room, after a moment Sirius swore loudly causing Hermione to whack him whilst pointing to their daughter (who was watching her father quite closely).

Alice sobbed in to Frank's shoulder. _How can her cousin let her children be so exposed and naïve? What has happened to her Molly? _As much as Ginny deserved this because of her naivety, no one deserved to walk around with cotton wool over their eyes for the rest of their lives. All her friends didn't know what to do and looked on sympathetically while Frank tried to console her.

**Harry felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside him. **

"Poor Ronnie." Alice sniffled.

"**We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…" **

"They should have been sent home, after the first attack and the proper authorities called to investigate." Minerva snapped. Was she so jaded in the future that she didn't care for their welfare and only their education? She didn't quite understand her actions in the future.

Albus looked down guiltily.

**The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming. **

Everyone was a little hopeful until Lockhart was mentioned.

"**So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?" **

"Idiot." Quite a few people snarled, this included Augusta (which surprised Frank).

**He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred.**

Moody shook his head. How can anyone so dim-witted become a published author, receive an order of merlin and fought dangerous creatures? Something doesn't seem right and he hopes the truth is upon the horizon. He didn't want to hear about this moron anymore.

**Snape stepped forward. **

Everyone leaned forward, knowing how snarky _Snape_ could be.

"**Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last." **

**Lockhart blanched. **

Smirk.

"**That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"**

"**I — well, I —"sputtered Lockhart. **

"**Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick. **

"**D-did I? I don't recall —" **

"**I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?" **

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but I love Snape so much right now." Alice grinned though her tears.

Everyone chuckled.

**Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.**

"**I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —"**

"He's trying to retract his lies and deny everything because he's caught. No more fraudulent lies." Regulus sneered.

"**We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last." **

**Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.**

Everyone laughed imagining Lockhart's expression and the vindictive looks on the teachers faces. What they'd do to be a fly on the wall.

"**V-very well," he said. "I'll — I'll be in my office, getting — getting ready."**

**And he left the room. **

"**Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got **_**him **_**out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."**

Tears of mirth and any laughter disappeared, as everyone remembered the seriousness of the situation.

**The teachers rose and left, one by one. **

**It was probably the worst day of Harry's entire life.**

"I don't blame him. His best friends little sister had been captured and taken down to a so called legendary chamber." James shook his head. "If something had happened to Regulus and Sirius was as broken as the Weasleys, I'd feel the same way too."

The Potters, Lily, The Marauders and Hermione beamed proudly.

"Wow. Thanks Potter, I honestly don't know what to say." Regulus said a little touched.

James bows his head seriously and signalled for Severus to continue.

**He, Ron, Fred, and George sat together in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, unable to say anything to each other.**

"Sometimes there really isn't anything to say." Sirius commented.

**Percy wasn't there. He had gone to send an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then shut himself up in his dormitory. **

Alice smiled a little.

"That's nice to see. He's using his common sense and doing what is best. As the eldest brother there, he may have felt it was his responsibility." Frank said.

"I guess he realised it just wasn't the time to sprout off nonsense. With a Ravenclaw prefect down ("Girlfriend!" interrupted Sirius – queue eye rolls) and his sister, he probably realised he wasn't so invincible." Lucius replied.

"But isn't it the person in charge meant to inform the Weasleys and not Percy?" Amelia questioned.

"Generally." Minerva frowned.

"Percy must have requested he tell them instead, might soften the blow coming from him rather than someone else. Judging by Mollys actions so far, he probably didn't think it was the right time for his mother to send a Howler to the school." Alice scowled.

Everyone agreed with her there.

**No afternoon ever lasted as long as that one, nor had Gryffindor Tower ever been so crowded, yet so quiet. Near sunset, Fred and George went up to bed, unable to sit there any longer. **

"The twins must have felt so useless and strange. They usually tried to see the positive side of things and cheer people up. Now it's them in a vulnerable position. It must have been so strange to see them so depressed and a quiet." Hermione sighed.

"**She knew something, Harry," said Ron, speaking for the first time since they had entered the wardrobe in the staff room. "That's why she was taken. It wasn't some stupid thing about Percy at all. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That must be why she was —" Ron rubbed his eyes frantically. "I mean, she was a pure-blood. There can't be any other reason." **

"Ginny probably just wasn't strong enough to fight off the compulsion charm after exposing herself to the diary for so long. However, she should have told someone when she noticed in the beginning. There would have been clear signs, of blackouts, weakness, mood swings and strange behaviour. There were plenty of people she could have asked for help." Dorea shook her head.

**Harry could see the sun sinking, blood-red, below the skyline. **

"Once again, it's like the sky can sense Harrys moods." Narcissa mumbled.

**This was the worst he had ever felt. If only there was something they could do. Anything. **

"Here we go." Lily sighed.

"**Harry" said Ron. "D'you think there's any chance at all she's not — you know —"**

"She'd definitely still be alive, that's how Tom plays. He's probably using her as bait. If she was dead, she'd be no use to him." Moody growled.

Everyone shuddered at how easily he spoke of the evil workings of Tom Riddles mind.

**Harry didn't know what to say. He couldn't see how Ginny could still be alive. **

"**D'you know what?" said Ron. "I think we should go and see Lockhart. Tell him what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him where we think it is, and tell him it's a basilisk in there." **

"After seeing how much of a moron Lockhart is, he still wants to seek his help? Why not McGonagall or Snape?" Regulus gaped.

"Growing up with Molly preaching the bravery and adventures of Gilderoy Lockhart, he had hoped deep down that the stories were true. He doesn't trust Snape enough because of how he treats the Lions but I don't understand why he wouldn't have gone to Minerva." Luna replied.

**Because Harry couldn't think of anything else to do, and because he wanted to be doing something, he agreed.**

Lily groaned into James' shoulder.

**The Gryffindors around them were so miserable, and felt so sorry for the Weasleys, that nobody tried to stop them as they got up, crossed the room, and left through the portrait hole. **

**Darkness was falling as they walked down to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps. **

This earned a few confused looks.

**Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering through it. **

"**Oh — Mr. Potter — Mr. Weasley —" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment —if you would be quick —"**

"**Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you." **

Snorts.

"**Er — well — it's not terribly —" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean — well — all right —" **

**He opened the door and they entered. **

**His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk. **

"That bastard! He's doing a runner!" yelled Sirius, covering Valentina's ears.

Hermione smacked his hands away; she thought it best that she place the babe in her rocker to nap (with a silencing and sensory charm; just in case). With a father like Sirius, Valentina was bound to learn curse words in every language under the sun.

Certain curse words and actions that made Luna giggle were sent at Lockhart. It was clear if Lockhart was around, he wouldn't survive the next five minutes of his life.

"**Are you going somewhere?" said Harry. **

"Yes his running away with his tail between his legs like a coward." Remus growled.

"**Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life-size poster of himself from the back of the door as he spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call — unavoidable — got to go —"**

Growl.

"**What about my sister?" said Ron jerkily. **

"**Well, as to that — most unfortunate —" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I —" **

Snort.

"**You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!" **

"**Well — I must say — when I took the job —" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "nothing in the job description — didn't expect —" **

"As a teacher it is your job to protect the students. Being a Defence the Dark Arts teacher, you should have expected it." Narcissa snarled.

"**You mean you're **_**running away**_**?" said Harry disbelievingly. "After all that stuff you did in your books —"**

"**Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.**

"So his admitting to fraud and plagiarism?" Moody raised an eyebrow.

"**You wrote them!" Harry shouted. **

"**My dear boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think **_**I'd **_**done all those things. **

Everyone was disgusted, Lucius looked murderous.

Luna and Hermione shivered, seeing that look quite a few times.

**No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on —" **

"Is he really that vain?" Alice said incredulously. "So basically because the people who actually accomplished these feats were unattractive and aren't as vain as he is, he sees fit to take credit for it?"

"**So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" said Harry incredulously. **

"**Harry, Harry," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms.**

"HOW DARE HE?" Amelia screeched. "When I get my hands on him…" She continued but was silenced by Remus' hand.

**No, it's been a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."**

"That selfish, attention seeking toerag." Lily growled. "When I get my hands on him…" she continued to mumble under her breath.

James beamed proudly at the colourful words Lily used and also glad he wasn't on the receiving end this time.

**He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them. **

"**Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left." **

**He pulled out his wand and turned to them. **

"Don't you dare, touch my son." James snarled.

Everyone joined in the growling and hissing in anger.

"**Awfully sorry, boys, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book —" **

**Harry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, "**_**Expelliarmus!**_**" **

**Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk; his wand flew high into the air; **

Cheers.

**Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window. **

Face palms.

"Why'd he do that for? He's got a bung wand. It would have worked much better than his." Remus shook his head.

Luna and Hermione smirked to themselves.

"**Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry furiously, kicking Lockhart's trunk aside. Lockhart was looking up at him, feeble once more. Harry was still pointing his wand at him. **

Moody grunted approvingly. "Never take your wand off your opponent."

"**What d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do." **

"**You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wandpoint. "We think **_**we **_**know where it is. **_**And **_**what's inside it. Let's go." **

"Why are they taking him? He'd be of no use to them." Alice frowned.

"Who cares? If he gets hurt all the better or they could use him as bait." Amelia said with finality.

Hermione and Luna shared and look and made note to speak to Amelia about her hatred for Lockhart.

**They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. **

**They sent Lockhart in first. Harry was pleased to see that he was shaking. **

Amelia grinned.

"You're both sadists." Remus laughed.

Amelia blew a raspberry at him, making him laugh harder.

**Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet. **

"**Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"**

"Charming little thing isn't she?" Henry said sarcastically.

A few people snorted.

"**To ask you how you died," said Harry. **

"Straight to the point." Moody nodded.

**Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question. **

"See." Amelia smirked.

Minerva sighed. She was making note to herself to spend some time getting to know the Hogwarts ghosts. Never know what other secrets they could learn.

"I think someone has a crush on young Harry." Remus laughed.

"She did." Luna and Hermione giggled.

"Excellent." Sirius and James grinned, rubbing their hands together in relish.

"**Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses.**

"Myrtle has always been quite sensitive; however, Olive Hornby wasn't the most pleasant person back then. She was mean, spiteful and a gossip." Dorea revealed.

"Like every other pureblood female then?" Narcissa commented.

"Pretty much."

**The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been.**

"Parseltongue." Charlus confirmed.

**Anyway, what really got me was that it was a **_**boy **_**speaking.**

"Tom Riddle" Everyone said darkly.

**So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then —" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I **_**died**_**."**

"**How?" said Harry. **

"**No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…" She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses." **

"**Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Harry. **

"**Somewhere there," said Myrtle, pointing vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet. **

**Harry and Ron hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face. **

A few people rolled their eyes.

"Coward." Sirius murmured.

**It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below. And then Harry saw it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake. **

"**That tap's never worked," said Myrtle brightly as he tried to turn it. **

"**Harry," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue." **

Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"**But —" Harry thought hard. The only times he'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when he'd been faced with a real snake.**

Lucius frowned but made a note of this.

**He stared hard at the tiny engraving, trying to imagine it was real. **

"**Open up," he said. **

**He looked at Ron, who shook his head. **

"**English," he said. **

**Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive. If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving. **

Again this was noted.

"**Open up," he said. **

**Except that the words weren't what he heard; a strange hissing had escaped him, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.**

Everyone gaped, before Regulus burst out in laughter.

"We were right! The Chamber entrance is in the ladies toilets!" Regulus laughed.

"That'd definitely one to tell mother or Bellatrix. _'Hello mother, just heard some rather interesting news, did you know, the mighty Salazar Slytherin put the entrance to the Chamber of Secret n the girls bathroom?' _Can you just imagine her face?" Sirius crowed.

Quite a few laughed at that.

"Can you imagine good ole Salazar sliding down a dirty pipe?" James shuddered.

"I don't think he would. Harry would probably have to ask for stairs in Parseltongue. The pipe entry is probably made for the basilisk." Dorea wrinkled her nose.

**Harry heard Ron gasp and looked up again. He had made up his mind what he was going to do. **

"He's going down there." Lily sighed.

"**I'm going down there," he said. **

**He couldn't not go, not now they had found the entrance to the Chamber, not if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that Ginny might be alive. **

"No one deserves to die like that, especially Ginny. It isn't her fault that she is so naive. No offence to your cousin Alice, but it's her mother's fault she is this way. It doesn't seem like Arthur has much influence over upbringing of his children." Augusta frowned.

"**Me too," said Ron. **

**There was a pause. **

"**Well, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just —" **

"I don't think so." Moody growled.

**He put his hand on the door knob, but Ron and Harry both pointed their wands at him. **

"**You can go first," Ron snarled. **

Alice beamed proudly.

**White-faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening. **

"**Boys," he said, his voice feeble. "Boys, what good will it do?" **

"To shut you up." Amelia sneered.

**Harry jabbed him in the back with his wand. Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe. **

"He's learning not to test Harrys Temper." Augusta giggled.

"**I really don't think —" he started to say, but Ron gave him a push, and he slid out of sight. **

All the teens cheered.

**Harry followed quickly. He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go. **

"He should've waited to see if Lockart was uninjured, before getting in himself. Did he not learn the last time he entered a dark tunnel?" Moody growled. "_CONSTANT VIG−_ "

"−_ILANCE!_" The teens yelled.

The elders groaned.

**It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide.**

Hermione wrinkled her nose; she was half glad she was petrified and didn't have to endure the slime.

**He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons. Behind him he could hear Ron, thudding slightly at the curves. **

**And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe leveled out,**

"I hope he doesn't go shooting out the end from all the momentum." Lily fretted.

Her friends laughed. After all Harry had been through, she worried about that the most.

**and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor**

Lily winced.

**of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and white as a ghost.**

Snort.

**Harry stood aside as Ron came whizzing out of the pipe, too. **

"If I wasn't so scared for them, it sounds a fun." Alice bounced in her seat.

Her friends once again rolled their eyes at her.

"**We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.**

"**Under the lake, probably," said Ron, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls.**

**All three of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.**

"_**Lumos!**_**" Harry muttered to his wand and it lit again. "C'mon," he said to Ron and Lockhart, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.**

"They should try and be quieter; the snakes could sense the vibrations." Alice said anxiously.

**The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wandlight.**

Lily whimpered.

"**Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away…" **

Moody nodded.

**But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud **_**crunch **_**as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones.**

"Love the décor." Narcissa's nose wrinkled. "It sounds charming just like your office, Severus."

Severus scowled, while the others snickered.

**Trying very hard not to imagine what Ginny might look like if they found her, Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel. **

"**Harry — there's something up there —" said Ron hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder. **

**They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving. **

"It's not breathing; maybe it's just the skin?" Frank suggested.

"Possibly." Henry nodded.

"**Maybe it's asleep," he breathed, glancing back at the other two. Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt. **

**Very slowly, his eyes as narrow as he could make them and still see, Harry edged forward, his wand held high. **

**The light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least. **

"Shit." Charlus cursed.

"**Blimey," said Ron weakly. **

**There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way. **

"**Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart. **

**Lockhart got to his feet — then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground. **

**Harry jumped forward, but too late — Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face. **

"This is going to be good." Remus grinned.

"What is?" Amelia snapped.

"He's got Rons wand." Lucius said catching on.

Everyone grinned at Lockhart's misfortune.

"**The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you two **_**tragically **_**lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body — say good-bye to your memories!" **

Glare.

**He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and yelled**_**, "Obliviate!**_**" **

**The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. **

**Harry flung his arms over his head and ran, slipping over the coils of snake skin, out of the way of great chunks of tunnel ceiling that were thundering to the floor. Next moment, he was standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.**

Groans.

"**Ron!" he shouted. "Are you okay? Ron!" **

"**I'm here!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rockfall. "I'm okay — this git's not, though — he got blasted by the wand —"**

Everyone cheered.

**There was a dull thud and a loud "ow!" It sounded as though Ron had just kicked Lockhart in the shins.**

"I don't think that was his shin." Luna giggled.

All the males winced sympathetically.

"**What now?" Ron's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through — it'll take ages…" **

**Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. He had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic, and now didn't seem a good moment to try — what if the whole tunnel caved in? **

The elders relaxed a little.

**There was another thud and another "ow!" from behind the rocks.**

Luna sighed. "That was Ron. He tried to move the rocks and one hit him in the head."

This earned a few snorts.

**They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours… Harry knew there was only one thing to do. **

"Why does he always have to go on alone?" Lily worried her lip.

"Harry will be fine. He's a Potter, we're very resourceful." James determined.

Charlus puffed his chest proudly; his wife rolled her eyes at them.

"**Wait there," he called to Ron. "Wait with Lockhart. I'll go on… If I'm not back in an hour…" **

**There was a very pregnant pause, "I'll try and shift some of this rock," said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady. "So you can — can get back through. And, Harry —" **

"**See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice. **

"Bloody Gryffindors." Dorea growled.

Her husband and son mock pouted but she ignored them.

**And he set off alone past the giant snake skin. **

**Soon the distant noise of Ron straining to shift the rocks was gone. The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he'd find when it did. And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds. **

"Sounds like Harrys eyes." Luna said dreamily.

Hermione nodded.

**Harry approached, his throat very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive. **

**He could guess what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker. **

"_**Open," **_**said Harry, in a low, faint hiss.**

**The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry, shaking from head to foot, walked inside.**

"That was the end." Severus said smoothly, handing the book over to Luna.


	23. Chapter 17 – The Heir of Slytheri

**A/N: **Hi guys, I haven't really been able to do much of anything for myself lately, so apologies for not being able to post anything because life is killing me. This chapter has been 3 weeks in the making due to life, procrastination and all the above!

On a more personal note(not that you guys really care); my fiance and I are having our own little bundle of joy in February. We've only just found out and have yet to tell my younger cousin and the rest of my family and I'm freaking out! Unfortunately, our January wedding will now have to be postponed til after the baby is born. So if anyone has any pregnancy advice, HELP! LOL

We're almost at the end of the book and I'm hoping I will be done with the next chapter soon.

Thanks for the favourites/follows and your patience and encouragement. I will be replying to the reviews over the next couple of days. If I miss anyone, apologies a head of time but I appreciate every single one of them.

Happy reading folks! Enjoy!

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**Actual text from the original books will be made in bold. Only character dialogue will be in normal text.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter Series or any of the characters; all rights belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

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**CHAPTER 17 ****- ****The Heir of Slytherin**

"Everyone ready?" Luna asked. Receiving weak smiles and nods, she continued. "_Chapter Seventeen – The Heir of Slytherin._"

Lily shifted nervously. _What's her baby boy gotten himself in now?_

**He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.**

"If I wasn't so worried about Harry; I would have loved to hear more detail about the room, it sound quite fascinating." Augusta said in awe.

Henry snorted; his wife was a closet architectural designer (like all pureblood wives) but wouldn't openly admit it (because she like to categorize herself with the likes of them).

**His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? And where was Ginny? **

"Keep calm and tread lightly, no sense in panicking. Use your other senses if you cannot use your eyes." Moody lectured.

All the teens nodded and took on the advice.

**He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns.**

"Always have your wand ready. Don't relax your grip." Henry added.

**Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement.**

Moody grunted approvingly.

**The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir. **

"That happens sometimes, your imagination tends to run wild but don't let that ever make you deter you." Charlus commented.

**Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. **

"Of course, only Salazar Slytherin would depict himself eternally in stone." Narcissa sighed.

"Don't tell mother. She'd find a way to get her hands on it and turn it in to a shrine or something of the like." Sirius said bitterly.

A few people wrinkled their noses in thought.

**Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.**

This made the teens and a few elders laugh.

"Only Harry would think to call Salazar Slytherin… _monkeyish_." Hermione giggled.

"He sounds hot." Sirius quipped; earning disgusted looks from his friends.

"Didn't realize you swung that way Siri. I'd be sure to write your mother." Narcissa smirked.

"And get a howler back?" he snorted. "No thanks. I like my ears the way they are."

**And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair. **

Alice gasped; the females grabbed on to their 'men' as one.

"**Ginny!" Harry muttered, sprinting to her and dropping to his knees. "Ginny — don't be dead — please don't be dead —"**

"Please no." Alice whimpered in to Franks shoulder. She couldn't bare losing another relative.

**He flung his wand aside,**

Hermione and Luna face palmed; the others groaned.

**grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified.**

Feeling Hermione shudder at the _P_ word, Sirius pulled her on to his lap (she was already half on it anyway).

**But then she must be… **

"**Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.**

"**She won't wake," said a soft voice.**

The Marauders and a few others cursed.

**Harry jumped and spun around on his knees. **

**A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. **

"A boy?" Amelia was confused. "I thought Ginny was the only one taken?"

Luna quickly continued wanting to finish this as soon as possible.

**He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window.**

A few of the elders frowned but made note of this.

**But there was no mistaking him.**

"**Tom — Tom Riddle?" **

"What?" Most of the room gasped.

**Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.**

"Creepy." Regulus muttered.

"**What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?"**

"**She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just." **

Alice glared.

**Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.**

"Dark magic, specifically soul magic." Charlus growled.

The teens gasped.

"That's sick." Lucius stiffened.

"Why would anyone do that to themselves?" Severus asked.

"It's Voldemort." James growled, as if it explained all.

"**Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.**

"**A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years." **

The elders started to look a little grim.

"You were right." Dorea said to her husband.

"I don't like to be." He replied darkly.

**He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

The elders, Lucius, Frank and Amelia narrowed their eyes.

**For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there — but there were more pressing matters to deal with. **

"Good. Try not to get distracted. Focus on getting out of there. Riddles a master of manipulation so don't fall for his tricks." Moody grunted.

"**You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk… I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help me."**

"He's not going to help you lad. He's the one responsible for all this." Henry said angrily.

**Riddle didn't move. Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor, and bent to pick up his wand again. **

The teens winced.

**But his wand had gone. **

"Riddle's got it doesn't he?" Narcissa whimpered.

Luna nodded but continued to read.

"**Did you see —?" **

**He looked up. Riddle was still watching him — twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers. **

"**Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it. **

"It's like his playing cat and mouse with his victims before he kills them. That sick bastard." Sirius snarled.

No one disagreed with him.

**A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly. **

"**Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes —"**

"**It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.**

"Why you little…" Dorea hissed but was silenced by Charlus. She turned her glare on him instead.

"Innocent ears." He replied cheekily.

Minerva snorted. "The students are far from innocent. The things I've heard come out of their mouths would make a muggle sailor blush."

The teens all looked very pleased with themselves.

**Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer. **

"**What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —" **

**Riddle's smile broadened. **

"I agree with Regulus, that smile is creepy. It's making my creepy radar go off the charts." Amelia shivered.

This earned a few chuckles, despite the tension.

"**You won't be needing it," he said. **

**Harry stared at him.**

"**What d'you mean, I won't be —?" **

"He's really is slow on the uptake isn't he?" Charlus sighed.

"Potter genetics." Augusta quipped.

"Yeah... wait… HEY!" he shouted; everyone laughed. Though Frank was still in shock; _who knew his mother could be so funny? _Seeing the look on Franks face his mother just winked at him.

"**I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."**

"**Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later —" **

Queue face palms.

"**We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry's wand. **

**Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here… **

"No, really, who would have guessed?" Remus said, rolling his eyes. The teens laughed, they were all familiar with the sarcastic tone (normally used on James); James mock glared.

"**How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly. **

"**Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger." **

"If you don't recognize an object and it responds to you in a strange manner or becomes suspicious, report it immediately. It could be more dangerous than what it appears to be." Henry said.

The teens nodded.

"**What are you talking about?" said Harry. **

"**The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes — how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how —" Riddle's eyes glinted "— how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…" **

**All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them. **

All the teens shuddered.

"**It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom… I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in… It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…" **

"Praying on a naive and vulnerable, eleven year old girl. That's low, even for him." Henry growled.

**Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck. **

Narrowed eyes and jaw clenching, could be seen around the room.

"**If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted… I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"**

"That's a crime against nature!" Amelia gasped. "Messing with souls is so wrong."

"**What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry. **

"**Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat." **

Hisses and growls.

"**No," Harry whispered. **

"**Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing.**

Alice shook angrily.

**I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face, "'I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me… There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!'"**

The air around Alice crackled, "_How dare he?"_ she said in a tone which made all her friends bar Frank move away.

Juno quickly popped in to the room placing calming droughts on the coffee table. Frank quickly grabbed one and handed it to Alice, who downed it quickly.

**Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms. **

"**It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle.**

"That's when she tried to flush it." Narcissa pointed out.

"**But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet…" **

"**And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady. **

Moody grunted approvingly.

"**Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history."**

"Fascinating history?" James said incredulously. "What's to tell? We got blown up and he went to live with the Dursleys."

"It's how he survived that interest most people. It takes a very power witch or wizard to be able to survive the killing curse and so far Harrys been the only one." Charlus explained.

James took that on board but he was very teens all pondered this.

**His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust —" **

"Well he lost out; Hagrid was Harrys first friend and because of that Harry would never listen to rumours or anything said against Hagrid without sufficient evidence." Luna interrupted herself.

Lily and James smiled softly.

"**Hagrid's my friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but —" **

**Riddle laughed his high laugh again. **

Hermione and Luna shivered; they never want to hear his laugh ever again.

"**It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry. Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student… on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls…**

"Hagrid." Minerva sighed.

**but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance… as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power! **

"Yes, having the ability to speak parseltongue and finding the entrance in the girls bathroom. That definitely takes a lot of brain and power." Severus sneered.

"**Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent.**

"If anyone knew Hagrid as well enough as any of his friends, they would think he was innocent as well." Albus smiled fondly.

**He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…"**

"**I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted. **

"**Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly. **

"Call it intuition. There was something odd about him, something wasn't quite right. The first time I met young Riddle, I knew he was someone to look out for and I only became more cautious after Hagrid was expelled." Albus said grimly.

"**I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work." **

"So this was his plan all along?" Augusta gritted out. "When I get my hands on him…" She too was silenced by her husband.

The teens snickered.

"**Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly. "No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again —" **

"**Haven't I already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? **

Hermione twitched, gaining worried looks.

**For many months now, my new target has been — you."**

**Harry stared at him. **

"**Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you.**

Sirius frowned. "She throws it away because she was scared but writes in it as soon as she gets it back?" Sirius said disbelievingly.

he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Compulsion charm Padfoot." Remus sighed.

"Oh yeah…"

**She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back. But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery — particularly if one of your best friends was attacked.**

"So Mia's attack was all part of the plan?" Charlus said soft and calmly.

"Probably, it's unlikely Ginny would attack her own brother. Who better yet then Harrys '_Muggleborn'_ Best '_FEMALE'_ friend? With Riddles powers of persuasion, getting rid of Mia would have just gotten her one step closer to Harry." Narcissa sneered.

_Slam!_

James had gotten up and punched the wall behind him; Hermione sighed and healed his hand; while others continued muttering angrily.

Alice frowned, Ginny wasn't that obsessed was she?

It was a few minutes before people were calm enough for Luna to continue.

**And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue… **

"So, because of the new information; Riddle made a plan to use Ginny as bait in order to trap Harry; thus, giving Riddle access to kill him?" Regulus summarized.

"Yep." said Hermione and Luna.

Lily looked like she was going to faint.

"**So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me. **

The elders all growled.

**Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."**

"**Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched. **

"**Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you — a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent — managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"**

"I think that's what we all want to know." Lily sighed.

**There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.**

Lucius, Frank and Moody frowned and made note of the description of red eyes, remembering this from the last book.

"**Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time…"**

"Unfortunately not." Minerva said solemnly.

"**Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…" **

**He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:**

_**TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE **_

**Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:**

_**I AM LORD VOLDEMORT **_

"So that's where you learnt that trick." Remus chuckled

"Yep." The girls grinned.

"Did you know, Voldemort means _Flight of Death_ in French." Luna said randomly.

"You speak French too?" Lucius asked; trying to be friendly.

"No."

"Oh." He turned Hermione for an explanation. She just shrugged, gaining snickers at the expression on Lucius' face.

"**You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. **

"Friends?" Moody snorted. "More like followers."

Lucius twitched. _Yes, his father would of course be considered one of those._

**You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?**

"Sounds like someone has daddy issues." Sirius joked, earning a few weak chuckles.

**No, Harry — I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!" **

"No, you're not! Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" James yelled.

"Yeah!" His friends all cheered. The Slytherins smiled, they didn't know the headmaster well enough yet.

Albus blushed brightly.

**Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's own parents, and so many others… At last he forced himself to speak. **

"**You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred. **

"**Not what?" snapped Riddle. **

"**Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days —" **

James beamed proudly. Once again the teens cheered. Albus coloured even more so.

**The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look. "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed. **

"He was forced out by the governors and Lucy, get your facts straight." Sirius snorted.

Lucius raised an eyebrow at the name.

"What?"

"Lucy?"

"Well, what else am I going to call book you? He's a git. He doesn't deserve to be called anything else."

Narcissa cleared her throat and glared at the two.

"Sorry." They said sheepishly.

"**He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true. **

**Riddle opened his mouth, but froze. **

**Music was coming from somewhere. **

This earned a few confused looks.

Albus' eye twinkled; he knew what was coming and he couldn't wait to see how Harry would handle it.

**Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar. **

**A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, **

"Fawkes!" The Marauders cheered.

**which were gripping a ragged bundle.**

**A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.**

**The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle. **

"**That's a phoenix." said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it. **

"**Fawkes?" Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently. **

"It's like Fawkes' way of saying; _'It's cool, I got this' _with a big dramatic entrance." Remus smirked.

Everyone laughed.

"**And that —" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat —" **

Everyone was a little more than of the room was a little more than confused.

**So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Harry's feet. **

**Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once. **

"**This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"**

**Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting. **

Once again, Moody approved.

"**To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice — in your past, in my future — we have met.**

"What! How would he know that?" Narcissa frowned.

"Ron must have told Ginny." Hermione replied.

"That's not going to help her hero worshiping." Lily said discouragingly.

**And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive." **

"He is trying to stall, so he can drain Ginnys life force." Charlus growled.

As soon as Charlus voiced his opinion, people started to growl.

**Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances. Riddle had the wand. He, Harry, had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel. It looked bad, all right… but the longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny… **

"Looks like his realizing that as well." Moody grunted.

**and in the meantime, Harry noticed suddenly, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid…**

The females were all becoming worried.

**If it had to be a fight between him and Riddle, better sooner than later. **

Moody nodded.

"**No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul —" **

"Oh, Harry. Don't mock him." Lily .

**Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful countercharm.**

"I would do it again and again, if I could." She hissed.

**I can see now… there is nothing special about you, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. **

"Don't listen to him Harry. There may be similarities but he made it that way. It's his fault you are stuck this way." Charlus growled.

**Even you must have noticed. Both half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. We even look something alike… **

"Don't listen to him Harry. There may be similarities but he made it that way. It's his fault you are stuck this way." Charlus Minerva through thin lips.

**but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know."**

**Harry stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand. But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again. **

"Creeper." Amelia murmured. Remus 's going to call the snake isn't he?" Lily fretted.

No one bothered to confirm her suspicion because they knew it was true.

"**Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him…" **

Glares were sent at the book.

**He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed — but Harry understood what he was saying…**

"**Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." **

A few people snorted.

"What kind of a password is that?" Regulus laughed.

"Riddle probably changed the original password. I doubt even Slytherin was that arrogant." Henry snorted.

**Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder. **

**Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horrorstruck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. **

**And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths. **

Hermione and Luna shuddered.

"Luna, give the book to me. I'll read." Henry offered.

"Thank you, father."

Severus pulled Luna to his side and wrapped his arms around her.

**Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight. Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents? **

"Phoenixes are quite remarkable, once you give them a chance. Riddle tends to misjudge those he considers below him." Luna said softly.

**Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder — he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice: **

"**Kill him."**

Lily squeaked, worriedly.

**The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way — Voldemort was laughing. **

Hermione trembled as she buried her face further in to Sirius' chest.

**Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood the serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming. **

**There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall. **

Luna gasped and clutched on to Severus tightly, not realizing she was digging her nails in to him.

**Waiting for fangs to sink through his body he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars. He couldn't help it — he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.**

Everyone stiffened, they knew Harry was safe but they just couldn't help but be worried.

**The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars.**

They all turned worriedly at the time-travellers, hearing whimpers from both girls. Both boys tried to comfort them as much as they could.

**As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake. **

**Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabers Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor.**

Gasp.

**The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned — Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes, both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony. **

"Go Fawkes!" James cheered; as everyone joined in.

"**NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS ****BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIM!" **

"Someone sounds like his losing his cool." James sung.

"Let him. That's when his most likely to make mistakes." Moody grinned.

**The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.**

"**Help me, help me," Harry muttered wildly, "someone — anyone…" **

**The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry ducked. Something soft hit his face. **

**The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. It was all he had left, his only chance — he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over him again. **

_**Help me — help me — **_**Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat. **_**Please help me**_**. **

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly. **

**Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it. **

**A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs. **

Those who recognized the description were in awe.

"**KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF — SMELL HIM." **

**Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous — **

The group shivered shuddered at the very descriptive imagery.

**It lunged blindly — Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side. **

Lily paled and gripped on to James' hand tightly.

**He raised the sword in both his hands —**

**The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true — Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth — **

Everyone cheered.

James stood up doing his happy dance and pulling Sirius up to join him (knocking Hermione to floor in the process).

"I wouldn't get too excited boys. He isn't in the clear yet." Moody growled.

The boys stopped mid dance and sat back down looking pouting. Hermione mock glared at them but still allowed Sirius to pull her to his side. Meanwhile, Charlus and Henry un-silenced their wives who looked about ready to hex them.

The rest of the group were amused.

**But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. **

Lily gasped.

**One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor. **

"No. No. No. No." she cried. James paled but tried to comfort her as best as he to comfort her as best as he could.

**Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull colour. **

Sirius swore loudly, while the others tried to remain a little faint.

**A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him. **

"**Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…" **

"He was." Albus smiled.

**He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him.**

**He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him. **

"**You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him.**

"Harrys not quite dead, if he can still hear you." Augusta smirked.

"**Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying." **

"Idiot." The teens said together.

**Harry blinked. Fawke's head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers. **

"Of course!" Remus face palmed. "Phoenix tears have healing powers!"

This made everyone smile.

"**I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry." **

"Keep waiting because it's not going to happen." Amelia snorted.

**Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning. **

"**So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends, **

"Never." Hermione and Luna hissed.

**defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. **

"Riddle did the challenging not Harry." Dorea growled.

**You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry…**

Most of the room hissed at the 'M' word; while the Slytherins and Hermione felt uncomfortable.

**She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…"**

**If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad. Even the pain was leaving him… **

"That's because you're not." Lily smiled.

**But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound — except that there was no wound. **

Everyone grinned.

"**Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. **

"**Get away from him — I said, get away —" **

**Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet. **

"**Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course… healing powers… I forgot…" **

"Looks like someone finally remembered our _COMC_ class." Augusta smirked; Frank was shocked but shrugged it off; maybe he should just get used to it.

"And I thought you said he was smart?" Amelia asked.

"_Was__._" Minerva smirked, (imagining the time when she hit Tom Riddle with a babbling hex when they were students); making them laugh.

**He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…" **

**He raised the wand… **

**Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap — the diary.**

**For a split second, both Harry and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it. **

"DESTROY IT!" The elders yelled. The teens looked confused.

**Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book. **

Moody grunted approvingly.

**There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then — He had gone. **

Everyone cheered. Once everyone calmed down, Henry continued.

**Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it. **

**Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just traveledtravelled miles by Floo powder.**

Lily grimaced, she didn't like flooing either.

**Slowly, he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth. **

"Can't forget the sword." James grinned.

**Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. **

**As Harry hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveledtravelled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face. **

"Thank goodness, shes alright but I'm still disappointed in her." Alice shook her head.

"**Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy — it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —" **

" **It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —" **

"Good." Augusta nodded.

"**I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. **

"She should be." Minerva glared at Albus. "But I think a certain person and her mother won't let that happen."

Albus was suddenly overcome with deafness.

"**I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"**

"I hardly think that matters right now." Charlus said firmly. "They need to focus on getting back up to the school, although Fawkes is healed him, he needs to get himself checked over. Especially Ginny, she'll need to see a Mind Healer."

Luna and Hermione exchanged a look that no one saw. Ginny didn't see a mind healer at all.

**Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. **

"Looks like Fawkes is thinking the same thing." Dorea smiled.

**Harry urged Ginny forward; they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, **

Severus' eyes glazed over. All those harvestable ingredients; what he would do, if he could get a hold of them. He coloured brightly, when he noticed Luna giggling at his expression.

**through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss. **

"You've got to admit, that's kind of cool." James admitted.

No one disagreed with him.

**After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears. **

"I'm sure Ronald, would be glad Ginnys safe." Augusta commented.

"**Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!" **

**He heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall. **

"Good to see his made some headway with the rocks; it would be easier to get out." Dorea relaxed.

"**Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! **

"That doesn't sound like he had much hope that Ginny would still be alive." Remus said in disappointment.

"He does care but Ronald doesn't really know how to convey his feelings with words. As a result, he comes off a little tactless." Luna explained.

This didn't make anyone else feel better.

**What happened? How — what — where did that bird come from?" **

**Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny. **

"**He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself. **

"**How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand. **

"**I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways ****glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever. **

"**But —" **

"Poor Ronald, he must be so confused." Alice said; slowly returning to her old bubbly self.

Everyone laughed; they too would be confused if they were in his position.

"**Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"**

All the teens groaned.

"I almost forgot about him." Frank moaned.

"Me too." Everyone agreed.

"**Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see." **

"Ah. That's right, young Weasleys wand backfired." Moody grinned evilly; making everyone laugh.

**Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself. **

"**His memory's gone," said Ron. **

"I know we shouldn't laugh _('but since its Lockhart' said Lucius)_, you can't help but laugh." Regulus snickered.

No one disagreed with him.

"**The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself." **

"Definitely would be. He'd need a mind healer as well." Dorea shook her head.

**Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all. **

"**Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?" **

"No, do you do?" Sirius muttered; making Hermione and Luna giggle.

"**No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.**

**Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe. **

"**Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron. **

"Ask Fawkes, he'll be able to help." Remus said eagerly, wanting to hear more about the magical bird.

**Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him. **

"Trust him, his helped you so far." James encouraged.

Everyone smiled softly, at the new found father.

"**He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there —" **

"If anyone should know anything about Phoenixes, it would be the Weasleys. Charlie used to read us books about magical creatures all the time." Luna sighed.

"It's Ronald; he only hears what he wants to hear." Hermione pointed out.

"I suppose your right."

"**Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart —"**

"Don't think he'd be much of a professor now." Frank laughed; no one disagreed with him.

"**He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart. **

Laughs were shared.

"**You hold Ginny's other hand —" **

**Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers. **

**An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe.**

All the teens were in awe.

**Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!" **

They couldn't help but laugh at Lockharts reaction.

**The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over — all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat,**

The teens groaned.

"It's a pity, losing his memory didn't do anything about him being so vain." Amelia sighed.

**the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place. **

**Myrtle goggled at them. **

"**You're alive," she said blankly to Harry. **

"No need to sound so disappointed." Regulus said grimly.

"**There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly, **

**wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses. **

"Stop repeating him, Reg." Sirius mock scowled, when everyone laughed.

"Shut up."

**wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses. **

"**Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver. **

"EW!" All the males wailed (because men don't squeal or shriek); making the females laugh.

"**Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"**

"Talk about pressure. Even Ron thinks Ginny should be with Harry." Alice said disapprovingly.

"It's because of the stories they were told by Molly when they were younger. I wouldn't be surprised if they both believed it to be true." Luna explained.

"That's not right! They should only be together on their own terms, not because Ginny was raised to believe they would be." Lily said incredulously.

Luna and Hermione tried to remain impassive but Sirius, James and Narcissa saw something in their eyes.

**But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face. **

"**Where now?" said Ron, **

"Head to the teachers' lounge or report to myself of _Snape_." Minerva said firmly.

The elders all agreed.

**with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed. **

**Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.**

"I guess Fawkes was thinking the same thing." Augusta said disapprovingly.

**Harry knocked and pushed the door open.**

"That's the end." Henry said; handing the book over to Hermione.


End file.
